


Needing a Royal Flush

by Foreign_one



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Cardverse, Drama, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-05
Updated: 2017-07-24
Packaged: 2018-05-24 21:48:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 24
Words: 93,443
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6167897
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Foreign_one/pseuds/Foreign_one
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A trying time is racing towards the world of Cards, the balance of power will be shifted. Some Kingdoms will rise while others will fall. During this time the Kingdom of Spades is left in a precarious position, with the old King dead and a new King chosen by the Fates. Choices are made and the consequences must be dealt with. The new King must grow and learn quickly, as it is up to him to sort through the deception and betrayal to save what is most important to him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first fanfic that I have started to write and hopefully it turns out as good as I think it to be.  
> If there is any spelling or grammar errors I do apologies as I'm not the best at those kind of things :P hehe
> 
> I hope you all enjoy reading my work and thanks for giving it a chance :)

There is a world far removed from our own, set in a different era and time completely. Its name is Cards and is comprised of four kingdoms.

The first and largest is the kingdom of Hearts; found in the eastern region of Cards. Its warm, temperate climates and vast landscape have allowed Hearts to become prosperous in trading with its surrounding kingdoms; producing food, lumber, and other resources. Hearts is known for its compassion and accepting nature. It is graced with Cards' best-known healers; making Hearts the center for medicinal healing.

The next kingdom is Diamonds; it spans the Southern region of Cards. This country is filled with extravagance, boasting in its elegance and richness. Diamond’s citizens are known for their skills in the arts excelling in music, painting and dancing; preferring to negotiate rather than face the hardships of war. Years of avoiding conflict have proven their abilities of persuasion. Diamonds' monarchs can influence the strongest of foes, using only their wit.

The third kingdom, Clubs, is an isolated island in the north found in the farthest reaches of Cards. This country is harsh; suffering from freezing weather where the snow never melts. Its contact with the other kingdoms is limited to its trade of oil and minerals dug from the frozen mountains. Its people embrace the cold, giving them a deeper understanding of their harsh weather to the extent of being able to manipulate it.

The last kingdom is called Spades that stretches into the west of Cards. This country is filled with universities and colleges expanding their knowledge, making Spades the forefront of industrial inventions. Spades is known for their military as well. While not as large as Hearts or as hardened as Clubs, the Spadian army is a force to be recognized. Spades also has the greatest connection with the land of Cards, enabling an elite few to tap into the magic that flows throughout their kingdom, performing incredible feats with a flick of their hands.

Three monarchs, the King, the Queen and the Jack, rule each of these four kingdoms. Whoever is chosen to fulfill those positions are chosen by fate, and will be born with the symbol of their country on their body and will rule until the fates deem them unfit for the position or are killed. The King is responsible for the general ruling of the country, and upholding relations with the other kingdoms. The Queen is responsible for the well-being of the citizens and protecting the land. The Queen will often assist in ruling the country and is also in command of the army. The Jack is responsible for the finances and political aspects of the country and is considered to be the keepers of history.

There are also two individuals that are worth mentioning, they are called the Jokers. While their existence is often questioned as being myth or not, the legend states that it is the Jokers' job to keep the balance of Cards. It is believed that the Jokers are immortal, influencing fate so that order is kept; even going as far as choosing who the next monarchs will be. It is thought that these two individuals live on the small island in the center of Cards surrounded by a vast ocean, a neutral piece of land that has never been claimed by the surrounding kingdoms.

Balancing the four kingdoms, Cards has had relative peace for over five hundred years. However, with peace comes complacency that can cover even the greatest of men’s eyes, causing blindness to an evil that stir in the distance. A time of great struggle and unrest is seeping into the darkest corners of Cards, causing alliances to become strained and beliefs tested. It is the time when the most unlikely of heroes will rise up and challenge fate itself to protect what they believe in or die trying.


	2. Out with the old, in with the new.

The spring in Spades is a wondrous sight were endless green fields bloom a plethora of flowers, giving the warm breeze a sweet scent. The lush green forest had begun to burst with new life as young animals frolicked in their new environment. Spring was a time for new beginnings and rebirth as the cold snow was washed away by the warm gentle rain. There was a renewed vigour in Zelené, the Capital, of Spades; the streets were busy with people haggling their wares while children scurried through the crowds looking for a bit of fun. With the snow disappearing, more merchants had set up their stalls, bringing in goods from all over Cards. The influx of goods created a wash of colours in the central market. Yet through the happy atmosphere a subtle tension gripped the people of Spades. The Palace was in mourning for in a secluded room lay the King, his strength waning with every breath he took.

The sound of polished shoes clicked down the marble floors of the palace as an urgent yet graceful stride hurried towards the King's chambers. The blue-violet coat whipped behind the individual in their haste, his short messy blonde hair looking even more devilish from the hand that constantly ran through it. Guards and servants bowed in respect but were disregarded as he rushed to the summons of the ill King. Upon reaching the end of the corridor he stood before two massive oak doors; a carved relief of the clock tree, which is the sacred symbol for Spade, designating the king’s quarters. Taking a moment to collect himself, straightening his coat and catching his breath, he reached out and gave a tentative knock before allowing himself in.

The room was dark; the drapes were pulled closed and only a small sliver of light escaped into the dim room. The air was thick and muggy, in desperate need for the fresh spring breeze just outside the closed window. The blonde man let out a long-suffering sigh and with a shake of his head, strode over to the window and ripped open the drapes, throwing open the window. He enjoyed how the breeze ruffled his hair.

“My word, being holed up in his dark room will do your health no good, Your Majesty,” Came the crisp accented voice of the blonde man who rolled his eyes and faced the bed.

In the middle of a grand canopy bed stuffed under mounds of blankets and pillows, a weak chuckle replied to the snarky remark. There was some movement and a wrinkled face came into view. Grey hair spread out around his head, brown eyes unfocused as the king lifted one gnarled hand and beckoned the man forward.

“I feel so touched that you care for my well-being, my Queen.” The weak voice replied once the Queen stood at the edge of the bed.

“Of course, it would not do Spades any good to lose their King at this time.”

A weak smile graced the king’s face, “Ah, of course. You are always so devoted to Spades, that is what makes you such a great Queen.”

Taken aback by the praise, the Queen cleared his throat. “While the compliment is not necessary, I appreciate the gesture.”

“I did not mean it as a compliment. It is merely the truth. It is the reason that you still stand strong after centuries of being Queen. You have been the Queen before I was named King and you will continue to be so after. While I used to envy you for your abilities and accomplishments, I now feel pity. I have been King for some time but I am ready to pass this burden on to someone greater, while you must stand by and watch another era pass by.”

The King’s eyes swam with emotions of sadness, pain, and regret as they moved to lock onto the Queen’s sparkling, emerald ones underneath large, bushy eyebrows.

They continued to stare at each other till the Queen broke the contact with a scoff, “I came here on the assumption that there was some meaning to your summons. I do not have the time to listen to your senile ramblings so, if that is all, I shall take my leave, Your Majesty.”

The Queen’s face was emotionless as he did a small bow and quickly turned to stride towards the door. However, the tension was evident in the lines of his shoulders as he reached out towards the door’s handle.

“Arthur,” the surprisingly strong voice carried through the room, causing the Queen to stop. “I may be sick and dying but I am still the King and you will sit and listen to what I have to say.”

Arthur’s hand that was halfway to reaching the handled, scrunched up in an angry fist before he released a sigh, letting his irritation go. He turned back around and gently placed himself on the edge of the bed, giving the King his full attention under a scowling expression.

The King was pleased that Arthur had listened as there was no way that he could have caught him if he had decided to leave. The exertion of his outburst had taken its toll though. The King seemed even weaker than before, his skin more shallow and pale, even his breathing sounded like a struggle.

His frail and raspy voice barely a whisper, “Thank you, and I must apologize if my comment has offended you as it was not my intention. But Arthur, I am worried for you. I know we have not agreed on many things during our ruling together and I have caused you much strife, but I consider you to be my friend. There is something terrible coming, I can feel it and I regret that I am leaving it to you to handle. I wish I could have done something more so that I could have helped you, so that I could be a better King for you.”

Arthur’s scowl deepened as the King kept talking. He began to open his mouth in protest but a weak hand grasped his, halting the words in his throat.

“Please, Arthur. Let me finish.” The King pushed forward, the hand that was holding Arthur’s gently rubbed his thumb across the Spadian symbol on the Queen’s hand. “When the new King is found, please try and not distance yourself from whoever it is. You may be the Queen of Spades and your duty to the people is first and foremost. But you are also Arthur and you deserve to be happy. You take on everyone’s burdens, trying to fix everything on your own by running yourself ragged. This threat that is coming is not something to be faced alone. Share your worries with the new King, confide in him and trust him. Hopefully the new King will be better than I so that you can have a lasting friend through the ages. Promise me you will at least try to open up.”

After finishing his speech the King let out a shuddering sigh, his grip weakened but his eyes remained on Arthur, waiting for his response.

“I-” Arthur stuttered, looking away before gathering his thoughts, “I will try.”

“That is all I can as for.” The King rested his head back on the pillow and closed his eyes, a small smile on his face till Arthur’s grip tightened on his own, causing his eye to open again.

“But let me make one thing clear, you senile old man,” Arthur’s voice was slightly thick with emotion. “You were not a terrible king, and for what it is worth I- I will miss you.”

Hearing those words, the King’s face lit up into a full-blown smile. “Thank you,” was the last thing the King said before his eyes dropped closed and the hand in Arthur’s went limp.

Gathering himself, Arthur stood up and made his way to the door, requesting that one of the guards find the Jack of Spades, Yao, and send him here. After a brief moment there was a knock and Arthur opened the door to see Yao, his dark brown hair pulled back into a long ponytail, his elegant blue and white robe swaying as he walked in. The Jack glanced towards the King’s bed, raising his eyebrow in question.

Arthur nodded in confirmation. “Yao, ready the messengers. The old King has passed. It is time once again to find the new King of Spades.”


	3. Who would have guessed?

The sound of laughter echoed throughout the woods as a ten-year-old boy bounded through the trees. The shafts of light that filtered through the leaves highlighted his golden-touched blonde hair, with an elusive cowlick that bobbed with his running. His sky blue eyes were wide in excitement as he splashed through rain puddles, looking for more adventures he could go on. Coming to a skidding stop in front of a raspberry bush, the young boy grabbed a handful and shoved them into his mouth. His face squished up as the tart yet sweet taste filled his mouth.

Letting out a joyous shout, the boy called out to his travel companion, more specifically his brother. “Come on Mattie, I’m gonna eat all the berries before you get here.”

A few moments later, with a little less grace, another boy came to a stop in front of the berry bush. His hair was slightly lighter than his brother’s with a runaway strand of hair that swayed in the breeze. Soft, almost purple looking eyes glared at his brother as he fruitlessly tried to gain enough air to talk.

“Alfred-” A few more deep breaths, “You know I cannot run as fast as you.” Matthew pouted.

“Haha, sorry bro.” Alfred rubbed his neck sheepishly. “I just got a little excited. I promise, next time I won’t leave you behind.”

Matthew’s irritation seemed to disappear with a soft sigh and a shake of his head. “That’s what you always say.”

Matthew then swiped a few of the raspberries that Alfred had already picked, from his brother’s hand, popping them into his mouth with an appreciative hum.

“Hey! Those were mine!” Alfred let out an indignant protest at Matthew who only stuck his tongue out in response.

“Whatever,” Alfred sulked at the loss of his berries, but quickly recovered as he spied a few more bushes that had the ripe fruit.

Quickly walking over, Alfred began to rapidly clear the bush of any berries, face covered in red juice in his haste to eat the fruit. Matthew had to all but drag his brother away from the bushes as he shoved the basket he had been holding into Alfred’s face.

“I know you love to eat, and taking a few is ok. But we are supposed to bring some back with us and at the rate you're going, there will be no berries left, Alfred.” Matthew scolded to his brother.

“Whoops, they just tasted so good though. It couldn’t hurt to eat a few more?” Alfred looked up at his brother with huge puppy dog eyes, hoping for Matthew to give in.

Matthew however, was one of the few people in existence who could resist Alfred’s pleading look. Rolling his eyes Matthew placed the basket in Alfred’s hands. “Fill the basket first, then you can eat what is left over.” And as an afterthought added, “Also don’t eat from the basket either.”

Alfred’s eyes widened in horror, “You’re so cruel!”

“Pick the berries, Alfred.” Matthew ended the conversation and began to pick the raspberries from the closest bush.

“Fine.” Alfred huffed and joined his brother in the given task. However, not without sneaking a few berries into his mouth when his brother wasn’t looking.

The sun was now at the highest peak in the sky and it had been a few hours since the brothers had ventured into the forest near their home. The task of picking berries ended rather fast, leaving the boys time to wander the woods to explore. Alfred managed to come across a family of bunnies, which he gladly chased, hoping to catch one. While Matthew simply enjoyed listening to the birds sing their songs from the trees. It was when Alfred’s stomach growled that it signified it was time to go back for lunch.

Stepping out from the forest edge, the two boys emerged into a small town where they lived. It was located at least a week's journey away from the Capital of Spades, far removed from the hustle and bustle of the larger cities. The town made up of about fifty people, who were mostly farmers with the few exceptions that made up a tight knit community. Alfred and Matthew received waves and greetings from nearly everyone they passed as they hurried along to a house on the edge of town.

The smell of sweet pastries and baked goods wafted from a quaint little house, which drew the boys towards it. The familiar brick house, with the white windows thrown open wide, was the home for both Alfred and Matthew who were taken in as young children by the older couple Richard Jones and Anna Jones that lived there.

Bounding to the door, Alfred burst in with a shout, “We’re home!”

There was a resounding crash that came from deeper in the house, most likely the kitchen. Soon after, an elderly woman, covered in flour, came out to greet the two boys at the door.

Anna had greying brown hair pulled back into a ponytail. A few strands had escaped, dropping in front of her honey brown eyes, which she pushed out of her face, effectively smearing more flour on her face. Her normal, smiling face was turned down into a scowl as she gazed at the two boys.

“Alfred! What did I say about yelling through the door, you gave me a fright.” Anna reprimanded, wagging a finger at Alfred. “I asked the two of you to gather me some wild berries and you come back hours later, covered in dirt.”

Both boys mumbled out a quiet sorry while holding the basket filled with raspberries as a peace offering.

“We found the berries, ma’am,” Alfred stated. He toed the ground with his dirty shoe, not looking up at Anna, ears turning red. “We just got lost along the way back is all.”

Anna looked at Alfred with an unimpressed gaze. With a lightning fast movement she managed to grab one of his reddening ears, giving it a slight tug upwards.

“Alfred F. Jones! Do not lie to me, young man,” she said with a stern tone.

“I-” Standing on his tiptoes to reduce the pull on his ear Alfred, face scrunched up in pain, began to protest but was instantly cut off.

“Don’t even start. Your ears turn red when you lie,” continued Anna. “Now why were you so late?”

Matthew stepped up, seeing as his brother could only sputter as their angry caretaker was tugging his ear higher. “Alfred wanted to go exploring in the woods a little bit longer. We finished picking the berries really fast and I guess we just lost track of time. We are sorry mum.”

Almost instantly the grip on Alfred’s ear vanished, “Thank you for explaining Matthew.” Anna smiled at the quieter boy, trusting what he said to be the truth.

Growing up Alfred was always the troublemaker getting into places he shouldn’t be, always asking questions. His energy never ran out, always running about getting into mischief. However, he was still a good boy, always asking to help with a bright smile on his face, his cheerful attitude never diminished. Matthew was nearly the opposite of Alfred, with his calm demeanor and soft-spoken ways. Anna almost never had to scold Matthew as they grew up, except the one time he decided maple syrup would make a good substitute for water in a bath. Matthew was always dependable to finish his assigned tasks and would often help Alfred finish his chores as well. If both boys were to ever get into trouble Anna knew that it would have most likely been Alfred’s idea.

Standing back up to her full height, Anna turned to Alfred. “I don’t mind that you were late or went exploring, just don’t lie about it.”

Alfred rubbed his sore ear looking dejected. “Yes mum, I am sorry.”

Anna gave Alfred a soft smile and ruffled his hair, knowing exactly how to cheer her boy up, “But since you went exploring I hope that you will tell me about all the amazing things you found.”

Matthew smiled as he watched his brother’s head whipped up to look at their caretaker. Alfred’s eyes widened and a huge smile stretched across his face as he began to enthusiastically describe what they had found and done in the woods. Anna had beckoned them to come to the kitchen while Alfred continued his story. Flour coated the floor and some of the walls, which must have been caused when Alfred burst through the door and scared Anna. The three of them began to clean and help prepare more desserts and pies to be made. The Jones family was famous in their little town for making the most delicious pies much to Alfred’s delight. The recently picked berries were going into a few of the pies, and a few more were swiped by Alfred, earning him a smack on the back of his head. After finishing a few more pies, Anna excused the boys from helping, setting a small piece of pie in front of Alfred and Matthew for helping out.

Anna watched in amusement as Alfred all but inhaled his slice and began eyeing the rest of Matthew’s piece as he was eating much slower. Hoping to keep Matthew from losing his piece Anna spoke up, “Alfred dear, I know you have already helped out a lot today, but I need something delivered to the inn. Normally I would have my husband do this but he still isn’t back yet.”

With Alfred’s attention directed towards Anna, Matthew managed to finish the rest of his dessert in peace.

Huge smile on his face Alfred said, “Sure! Of course I’ll help and Mattie can come too.” Alfred looked back at his brother noticing the loss of stealing his brother’s dessert.

Anna began to grab a few boxes filled with baked pies and handed them off to Alfred and Matthew. “Thank you so much! I don’t know what I would do without you two boys.”

Still grinning, Alfred balanced the pie boxes in one hand while striking a pose with the other. “Don’t worry mum, helping people is what heroes do and I’m a hero!”

Letting out a soft chuckle, Anna bent down and kissed the top of both Alfred and Matthew’s head. “You’re not just a hero, you’re my hero. Both of you are.”

Letting out a whoop of excitement, Alfred raced out the door, grinning like a fool at the praise. Matthew once again left behind, nodded back to Anna. “We will be back soon.” And then he chased after his brother.

It took Alfred only a few minutes to reach the inn, and another to let his brother catch up. Matthew didn’t even bother scolding Alfred for leaving him behind, again. The wooden door opened with a small chime, signaling customers as Alfred entered into the full room. The inn functioned as a place for travelers to stay but also as a makeshift bar as many of the locals occupied little tables spread through the room. Alfred always enjoyed coming to the inn as there was always a good story or rumor to hear from the odd passing traveler.

The inn was oddly busy for the time of day, filled with drunken laughter and music as an individual played the lute in the corner of the building. Both boys weaved their way through the crowded room to make their way to the counter, hoping that the barmaid would be able to tell the owners that they had a delivery.

Standing before the bar, Alfred cleared his throat and raised his voice to be heard over the commotion in the room. “Excuse me ma’am but we have a delivery,” holding up the boxes to prove his point.

“One moment, I shall fetch them,” was all she said before disappearing behind the back, not giving the boys a chance to reply.

Alfred looked around before he decided to sit in one of the bar stool at the counter. Matthew was nervously looking around, clearly uncomfortable with being surrounded by so many people but still joined Alfred by sitting on a stool to wait. Many conversations bombarded Alfred’s ears, most were mundane however, one managed to peak his interest. Looking around, Alfred spotted the man that was talking; he was dusty from his voyage, seeming to be dressed as a traveling merchant.

Paying further attention, Alfred strained his ears to listen. “Bloody, it’s ripe bad in Zelené. Everyone is runnin’ about, and tensions are high. Apparently, the King of Spades is ill and you know what that means.”

“Hey, Mattie you listening to this?” Alfred nudged his brother in the side with his elbow, earning him a huff of annoyance.

The man that the traveler was talking to merely shook his head. “Don’t be daft, aren’t the Monarchs supposed to be immortal or some shite like that.”

“There’s the rub, they will only be in power so long as they are worthy. Guess this King’s time is up.”

“So, a new king will be chosen?”

The traveler nodded in confirmation. “That’s how it goes. Once the old King is dead, his successor is chosen almost immediately.”

“Bloody hell, I wonder who it will be?”

“And that’s what’s got the Capital, Zelené, in a worry, no one knows.”

Alfred was practically vibrating in his seat as he listened to the stranger. It all sounded so exciting to him, as little news rarely traveled to a remote location like this. Anything about the Capital captivated Alfred.

Alfred turned and tugged on Matthew’s arm, “Please tell me you hear that, Mattie. Spades is going to have a new king! I wonder what they will be like or how old? Do you think we will get to see them?”

Matthew let Alfred spew his questions out first before trying to speak to Alfred. “First off Alfred, could you please stop tugging my arm? You are going to rip it off.” When said arm was free he continued, “Secondly, you shouldn’t eavesdrop, it’s rude. But yes, I heard and no, I don’t think we will get to see them.”

Not put off by his brother’s dismissive answer, he pushed forward, “Come on Mattie, don’t be a spoil sport. I mean one day I’m gonna visit the Capital, then I’ll definitely see the King.”

“Whatever you say, Alfred.” Matthew turned away from his brother then to patiently wait for the owner to come and collect the pies.

Alfred became wrapped up in his own fantasies of the Capital, Zelené, and other various adventures he wished to go on, absently scratching a tingling itch on his upper back. While Alfred did enjoy living in the small town, it was his dream to travel and see the wonders that the world had to offer.

A few minutes later the owner, Joseph, emerged from the back and approached the two boys. His black hair was starting to recede and he had small wrinkles around his eyes that only deepened when he smiled.

“Alfred, Matthew what a surprise!” Joseph greeted them both joyfully.

Alfred smiled back giving another scratch to his back as the insistent itch wouldn’t go away. “Hi Joseph, it’s good to see you again.”

“So what brings you two into my inn again? Hopeful not to cause more trouble.” Joseph gave Alfred a small smirk.

Alfred spluttered. “Oh come on, I said I was sorry. It’s not like I meant to release those squirrels in here. Besides, I caught all of them after.”

“Aye, lad. Don’t worry, I’m just teasin’.”

Matthew gave his brother a funny look as Alfred seemed too busy itching his upper back at the moment and answered. “Actually, we are here to deliver our mum’s pies that you had requested.”

Joseph’s eyes closed as he hummed in appreciation. “Mrs. Jones’ pies are the best.” He cracked an eye to look at the boxes. “So I guess that’s were the good smell is coming from.”

Letting out a loud laugh Alfred answered, “Yeppers, they are really delicious and I think it’s the smell that draws half of your customers in here.”

“Hey! Our other services are just as good.” Joseph huffed before turning towards the back again. “Alright boys, give me a minute and I’ll grab the coin that I owe your mother.”

As soon as Joseph disappeared around the corner, Alfred’s brow scrunched up before he increased his itching efforts. Yet the weird tingling on his upper back only grew in strength till it turned slightly painful.

“Alfred, are you alright? You’re acting kind of strange.” Matthew looked at his brother with concern.

“I’m fine, it’s just my back is really itchy. Actually, do you think you could scratch it?” Alfred turned, facing away from Matthew so that his brother could reach his back.

Matthew stretched out and ran his nails along Alfred’s clothed back. Oddly enough, the skin felt really warm even through the barrier of clothing. “It doesn’t seem like it's fine, Alfred. You’re squirming like you have ants in your pants. And your back is really warm.”

Alfred was about to brush off his brother’s concern when Joseph arrived, dropping a small bag of coins on the counter. “This is everything.”

Spinning back around, Alfred quickly put a smile on and grabbed the bag. “Thanks, dude.”

Joseph frowned at the forced smile that Alfred was sporting; looking at Matthew, he could also see his brother frowning in worry. “Alfred, is everything alright?”

Looking back and forth between the two concerned gazes, Alfred rolled his eyes. “Guys really I’m fine, it’s just a-”

Alfred’s sentence was stopped midway as an intense pain streaked across his back. No longer a mere itch, it felt like a brand was being seared across his shoulder blades. Alfred let out a small cry as he crumpled, nearly toppling to the ground till Matthew caught him.

His brother was frantically shaking him as his fearful voice reached Alfred’s ears, “Alfred! What’s wrong?! Please say something!”

However, as fast as the burning pain came, it receded just as quickly, leaving a cool tingling aftermath.

Dazed, Alfred’s voice came out in a mere whisper. “My back.”

Alfred’s collapsing and Matthew’s frantic voice had attracted quite the attention as nearly everyone in the inn was focused on the two boys. Matthew adjusted Alfred in his lap and he drew up his brother’s shirt to get a look at his back. Alfred heard a collective gasp from the individuals in the inn as well as a softer one beside his ear.

“By the Divines, Alfred.” Matthew whispered behind him.

Strength returning, Alfred pushed himself off of Matthew’s lap, letting his shirt fall down. “Um, Mattie is there something wrong with my back? Why is everyone staring?” Alfred turned to face his brother.

Matthew just stared, opened-mouth and blinking at his brother, seeming to be almost scared.

Joseph was the first to speak, still staring at Alfred in wonderment. “Alfred- you- I mean.” He was gesturing vaguely with his hands.

With the silence broken, Matthew seemed to jump into action. He quickly grabbed the coin bag from the counter in one hand and Alfred’s hand in his other. Matthew all but ran out of the inn, dragging Alfred with him with a hastily, “Thank you for the money,” towards Joseph before they were out the door.

For once in his life, Alfred struggled to keep up with Matthew as he was pulled towards their house. All his questions fell on deaf ears, as it seemed that Matthew’s only goal was to get home. He didn’t even pause to gently open the door, instead Matthew flung it open causing it to smack against the wall.

“Alfred for the love of the Divines, what did I say about bursting through the door? You need to- Oh.” Anna’s eyes went wide as she saw that it was Matthew that had caused such a racket.

Taking in their frantic state, she rushed over, instantly looking for signs of injury. “Matthew, what happened? Are you boys alright? You’re not hurt anywhere, are you?”

“His back,” was all that Matthew managed to croak out, looking desperately towards her.

Hearing this, Anna immediately dropped to her knees and reached for Alfred’s shirt before tugging it up and once again, just like in the inn, Alfred heard Anna gasp. She gently reached out and lightly brushed along his back, seeming to be tracing a pattern of some sort. Wherever her fingers dragged, a cool tingling sensation followed.

“Mum. Please I don’t know what’s going on.” Alfred pleaded, his fear rising at all the strange reactions he had been receiving.

Instead of answering, Anna hugged Alfred from behind, her voice emotional. “Oh, my Alfred. My sweet, young, Alfred.”

“Mattie?” Alfred looked towards his brother, hoping for something, but was met with a scared expression that mirrored his own.

Anna stood then, wiping a few tears that had fallen down, and gave Alfred a sad smile. “Sweetheart, you-” she took a breath to collect herself. “Please come with me to my room. It would be better if I showed you.”

Alfred had never feared walking to his mother’s room so much in his life. What had happened to his back to cause such a reaction from everyone? Was there some ugly burn? Was he disfigured? His feet felt like lead as he walked up the stairs. Matthew was walking beside him but Alfred could see the faint trembling in his hands. Hoping to ease his brother’s worry, Alfred reached out and took Matthew’s hand, giving it a squeeze to which he received a small squeeze back. Anna directed Alfred to stand in front of a long mirror inside her room; in her hand she also held a smaller hand mirror.

“Now Alfred, put your back to the mirror and take off your shirt.”

Alfred compiled to his mother’s request and easily slipped his shirt over his head. There was a slight breeze and it brought out that cool tingling sensation across his back again.

“Alright now, take this mirror and use it to see your back in the other one, sweetheart.” Anna held out the hand mirror.

With shaky hands, Alfred clutched the smaller mirror. Taking a deep breath to prepare himself for the worst, he slowly raised it till his back was in view. Alfred’s eyes widened at what he saw, as it wasn’t anything he imagined. There across his shoulder blades, in an inky dark blue, was a swirling pattern of lines that converged to the center of his upper back. Where the lines met was the most intricate design for a spade Alfred had ever seen.

Alfred gazed in wonderment. “Mum, what is this? What does it mean?”

Without tearing his eyes away from the mark on his skin, Alfred heard something that would change his life forever.

“Alfred, that is the symbol for the King of Spades. This means you are now the King.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed it :)
> 
> My posting will be a little bit slower now, hopeful every two weeks if not sooner. That is if university doesn't decide to kick my butt.


	4. I'm on my way

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woo! Another chapter, gotta love my productive procrastination. Because nobody likes doing school assignments so why not write a story instead ;P
> 
> Again thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy, and if you see any mistakes feel free to tell me and I'll fix it as soon as possible :)

Arthur sat in his study behind a massive wooden desk. The left wall was covered in bookshelves stuffed full of tomes, treaties and any other books that Arthur thought imperative to remain close at hand. On the right was a large grandfather clock slowly ticking the time away next to an ornate fireplace. Arthur’s royal coat was draped haphazardly across the comfy looking sofa pushed off to the side. Light spilled into the room from the open balcony behind him; lazy dust particles slowly drifted in and out of the sun’s light, caught in the soft breeze. The scent of old books and tea was heavy in the air. Arthur’s quill scribbled away on the numerous documents that had to be signed and re-done.

It had nearly been a week since the King’s passing and paperwork had begun to pile up, not to mention most of the nobles in the city had started to worry as a new king had yet to be found. If Arthur wasn’t doing paperwork, he was pacifying the nobles, and if he did manage to find some time for himself, there was always some pressing matter to draw his attention.

Arthur was so absorbed in his work that he almost missed the faint knock on his study door. Without taking pause from the work, he addressed his visitor. “Come in.”

Easing the door open, the Jack of Spades stepped into the study. Dressed in his traditional blue robes, his footsteps were hushed by the oriental carpet on the floor. Yao’s eyes took in Arthur’s desk overflowing with papers and documents, a little side table holding an uneaten breakfast, before looking over Arthur himself. His scruffy blonde hair was even more disheveled, deep bags under his eyes, posture way too stiff.

Stopping in front of Arthur’s wooden desk, Yao gave a small bow before speaking. “Forgive me for intruding, Your Majesty.”

Finally looking up from his papers, Arthur shook his head. “Yao please, we have known each other for far too long for you to be using formalities with me.”

“As you wish, Arthur.” Yao gestured towards the forgotten breakfast. “I see you have still not eaten, and when was the last time you have slept?”

Arthur waved his hand dismissively. “I wasn’t hungry and I’ve just been too busy to take a break.” However, much to Arthur’s dismay, his body betrayed him as his stomach let out a small growl in protest.

Yao merely hummed in response as he heard Arthur’s stomach rumble and watched as Arthur blushed in embarrassment. “Clearly.”

Giving out a huff of irritation, Arthur fixed Yao with a glare. “I assume you do have some business with me and you’re not here just to play mother hen.”

“Of course, I was simply worried about our Queen’s health. I wouldn’t want for Spades to lose her Queen as soon as the new King is found.” Yao gave Arthur a small smile as he let Arthur process his statement.

“Well I don’t need everyone to constantly hover over me I-” Arthur’s eyes blew wide. “Wait, the new King has been found?”

“Yes, apparently it’s a young boy. He was found in one of the further settlements in Spades. Tis but a week's journey from here.” Yao nodded in confirmation.

Some of the tension fell off of Arthur’s shoulders at the good news. Normally a new monarch would show up a few days after. Yet, this new King had taken much longer than normal, causing even Arthur to worry. The term boy also stuck in Arthur’s mind, depending on how young the king was, it could be years till he would be ready to take the throne, which would be more work for Arthur till the boy is ready.

Still somewhat apprehensive, Arthur pressed Yao, “Are we sure that this boy is the King?”

“There were multiple eye witness accounts of when the boy received his mark. I even interviewed one of the merchants that claimed to have seen what happened. The man seemed very adamant that the child was the King of Spades.”

Arthur stood up from his chair, striding towards the door. “Then we must prepare a group of soldiers immediately. It is imperative that he is brought to the palace as quickly as possible. The other Kingdoms know we lack a king and may be searching already. I will not have them get to him first.”

Yao grasped Arthur by his shoulder to stop him. “I have already sent out the soldiers. My coming here was simply to bring the good news.” He squeezed a little tighter on Arthur’s shoulder. “And I came to make sure the Queen doesn’t die of exhaustion. You will be taking a break to get some sleep.”

Arthur gave a small smile to Yao. “You truly are the greatest Jack that Spades could ever get. And I will try to rest.”

“Oh, you will do better than try, Arthur. Because if I come back in here a few hours later to find you hunched over that desk, I am not above putting a sleeping serum in your tea.”

With a smirk, Yao turned on his heel and left the study, leaving a spluttering Arthur to gape at the Jack’s back.

Walking over to grab his coat off the sofa, Arthur softly muttered to himself, “Maybe Yao is too good of a Jack.” Before he left his study to retreat to his bedroom to get some rest.

* * *

 

Alfred was in his shared bedroom with Matthew, lying face down on his bed, face buried in his pillow. From the time that his mom told him that he was now the King of Spades, both Matthew and his parents had become completely overprotective. Alfred was no longer allowed to go for long walks in the woods by himself; he would have to be accompanied by either his mother or father wherever he went. Anna no longer asked him to do the odd simple task in town, and whenever they did go into town, Anna stood over him like a mother bear glaring at anyone that gawked to long. There were also the increased whispers that Alfred would hear as he and his mom would wander the market, going on about the new King. While Alfred could take the overprotective parents, funny looks and strange whispers, the worst was Matthew.

His brother had nearly attached himself onto Alfred, becoming like a shadow that followed him wherever he went. If Alfred went to their room so did Matthew, if he went downstairs so did Matthew. It’s not that Alfred didn’t appreciate how concerned his brother was, he did. But after two weeks straight of Matthew simply following Alfred around, not speaking and just staring with that worried look, Alfred couldn’t take anymore of it.

Shifting his position so that one blue eye could glare out over the pillow to the bed on the opposite side of the room, Alfred locked an eye on Matthew. “Look bro, can you please stop with this whole following me around stuff? It’s getting kind of old.”

Matthew shook his head. “No. I can’t.”

“Ugh! What do you mean you can’t? Just stop, alright.” Alfred let out a huff of irritation as he rolled over to stare at the ceiling. His arm flung over his face, covering his eyes.

“No.”

“Mattie, it’s getting on my nerves. You’re not my shadow, so stop acting like one.”

“I’m not trying to be your shadow.”

“So then stop following me.” Alfred’s voice rose in anger.

“No.”

“Matthew!” Alfred flung his arm off his face, pushing himself into a sitting position.

What Alfred did not expect to see when he turned to glare back at his brother was Matthew on the verge of tears. Matthew’s face was red and crumpled into a desperate expression; his violet eyes moist with tears just about to fall.

Matthew’s hands dug into the blanket beneath him as if it was the only thing grounding him. “I can’t! If… if I lose sight of you, you might leave me behind again and this time I won’t be able to catch up.”

Alfred watched the tears spill over and run down Matthew’s cheek as he continued on. “Whenever we go into town with mom, I always hear people talking about how you will be taken away, that you won’t be allowed to stay in this small town. You’re going to leave me Alfred and I don’t want you to go.”

Alfred was shocked speechless. He had never seen Matthew get this emotional; it even beat the time when he stole Matthew’s pancakes. It slowly started to make sense for Alfred as the pieces fell into place, why his parents had become overprotective and why Matthew didn’t want to leave his side. It was because they were afraid that they would lose him.

Alfred slowly got up from his bed and sat beside Matthew. Grabbing his brother, he drew him into a big hug. Almost immediately, Matthew had Alfred in a vice grip, his tear stained face rubbing onto Alfred’s shoulder, soaking the shirt in seconds.

“Hey, shhh.” Alfred gently rubbed Matthew’s back in hopes of soothing his brother’s worries. “It will be all right Mattie, I promise I’m not going to leave you behind.”

Matthew only gripped tighter. “No, you always say that! And you always break that promise!”

Alfred pulled Matthew back to look him in the eyes, lightly wiping away the tear streaks on his brother’s face. “I swear that I won’t. You are my brother and I’m not going anywhere without you.”

A small smile formed on Matthew’s face. “Alfred.”

Matthew pulled Alfred back into a hug, seeming content just to hold onto his brother while Alfred continued to rub circles on his brother’s back.

It was either minutes or hours that passed but Alfred was having trouble telling which it was. The sound of thundering hooves and jingling armor interrupted the serene moment for the two brothers. Matthew seemed to tense at the sound, his grip in Alfred’s shirt tightened and fear filled his wide, lavender eyes. Time seemed to hold still as the horses stopped and the sounds outside faded. Then a loud knock on their house’s door shattered the stillness.

Matthew flinched at the harsh knock and Alfred reached out to clasp his hand. “It’s gonna be ok, Mattie.”

Alfred could hear his father, Richard, moving to get the door and the time it took for him to answer seemed like ages. The muffled voices reached upstairs, but distinct words could not be heard. Alfred contemplated moving to the door in hopes to hear better, but Matthew’s death grip on him prevented any movement.

“Alfred!” His father’s low timber voice echoed throughout the quiet house. “Please come downstairs.”

The two brothers locked eyes for a few moments before Alfred gave a small nod of his head; with great reluctance Matthew loosened his hands on Alfred’s shirt before letting go. Free of his brother’s grasp Alfred slowly stood up, the walk to the door stretched on forever but before he realized he had already opened the door.

Standing in the doorway Alfred turned back towards the bedroom. “Come on Mattie, you’re coming with me.”

Matthew leapt up from the bed and raced to his brother’s side. “Together?”

Alfred gave a firm nod. “Always.”

The two boys walked downstairs to find their living room filled with at least ten Spade soldiers, the Spadian symbol emblazoned upon the chest piece. They all stood straight, the armor softly glowing from the sunlight mixed with darker spots where dust and dirt had settled on the metal. Richard was casually speaking to one of the soldiers off to the side, said soldier was distinct from the rest with a deep blue cape hanging off his pauldrons. Anna flitted about offering tea and biscuits to the travel weary soldiers.

Alfred nearly laughed at how funny and out of place the soldiers looked as a few of them daintily held teacups that Anna had shoved into their hands. A small chuckle must have escaped from Alfred because soon all eyes in the living room fell onto the two boys. The one soldier that had been talking with Richard broke off his conversation and strode over to the young boy.

“Hello, my name is Gavner and I am the captain of this guard.” The blue cape fluttered around the man.

“Hi, the name's Alfred.” Alfred said as he stuck out his hand to shake.

The soldier’s gauntlet was cold in Alfred’s hand and his handshake was firm. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, young man.”

The captain of the guard cut an imposing figure. His striking black hair and scruffy beard caused his steel grey eyes to pop. Thick muscles shifted underneath his issued armor, a massive sword hung in the scabbard off his hip. While he seemed to be a serious man, a pleasant smile stretched across his face. However, that didn’t stop Matthew from slightly shifting to stand behind his brother for protection.

“Now, I know not how far the information has traveled, but our great king has passed.” The soldier watched Alfred nod in understanding. “With his death the Fates will choose a new king immediately, and we have been sent out to find such individual. There was a rumor that has reached the palace of a young boy in this village that was seen bearing the mark of Spades. Following said rumor we were directed here, to you actually.”

“What, does that mean I’m famous?!” Alfred asked in excitement. “Man, that’s so cool!”

The captain looked at the young blue-eyed boy jump with delight, his blonde cowlick bouncing along with the movement. The tense atmosphere seemed to evaporate at the boy’s excitement; even some of his guards let out small chuckles at the blonde’s antics.

“Yes well, it still remains a rumor and must be proven. You must forgive me, but in order to confirm that you are the new King I must see that you do truly bear the mark of Spades.” The captain gestured towards Alfred’s back.

“Of course! Why didn’t you just ask in the first place?” Alfred turned around to lift his shirt up high enough for the soldier to see the mark on his back.

With the Spade mark shown for all to see the group of soldiers immediately fell to their knee, hand over their chest, heads bowed in respect. Alfred dropped his shirt and turned as he and Matthew watched in awe as even their parents gave a small bow towards Alfred.

The captain had also dropped to a knee. “Your Majesty, it is an honor to be in your presence.”

Alfred scratched absently at the back of his neck, shifting uncomfortably. “Uhhh, look dudes there is no need for that.”

Anna walked forward and placed a comforting hand on her son’s shoulder. “Sweetie, it’s simply formality. Respect must be given to the King.”

“Well they still don’t need to kneel, I mean I’m not into the whole ceremonial thing.”

“That’s not going to please the Queen.” The captain mumbled under his breath as he stood to honor the King’s request. “Your Majesty, now that we have confirmed your mark, there is a carriage waiting for you outside to bring you to the Capital.”

“Wait, now?” Alfred asked in concern, taking a step back from the captain.

“Yes, you must be brought to the palace so that your coronation can take place as soon as possible. The public must know the new king has been found. The coronation acts as a legitimacy for the other kingdoms, as well.”

“But I-” Alfred hesitated, looking towards his parents.

Alfred knew that he would have to leave his home at some point, but he didn’t realize that it would happen so soon. He had hoped to have more time to say goodbye to his parents and the rest of the town, maybe have one more meal in his home before he was thrown into a new life.

Anna grabbed Alfred in a massive hug; her eyes were misty with tears. “Don’t worry about us.”

“You will go to the Capital and make us proud.” Richard clasped Alfred’s shoulder.

“I will.” Alfred replied as he buried his face into Anna’s shoulder. His own voice was thick with emotion.

“It’s not goodbye forever. After you get settled we will come to visit, I’ll even bring some pies.” Anna said as she pulled back from her hug.

“Ya that would be great!”

However, another thought passed Alfred’s mind and he turned to the captain. “I will go to Zelené on one condition.”

The soldier’s eyebrows rose. “And what might that be.”

Alfred reached out and pulled Matthew to his side. “This is my brother, and wherever I go he goes too.”

The captain glanced over the nearly identical brother, noting the slightly different hair color and soft violet eyes that was currently being squashed to his brother’s side. “I don’t see a problem with it.”

“Yes!” Alfred did a little fist pump in the air. “Did ya hear that Mattie, you’re coming to the Capital with me.”

A massive smile went across Matthew’s face and he faced the guard, “Thank you, sir.” He then turned to his parents, “I don’t want to leave home, but Alfred is my brother and I can’t, I-”

Anna then grabbed Matthew in a huge hug too, “It’s alright, we understand. Besides, someone has to keep Alfred out of trouble, so I’m going to count on you Matthew.”

“Thank you mom, and I’ll be sure to keep him safe.”

Alfred was abuzz with excitement, all previous trepidation gone now that his brother was allowed to go with him. “Come on, let’s go. Hurry to the carriage!” Alfred started to tug Matthew towards the door.

Matthew rolled his eyes at his brother’s enthusiasm. “Al, the city isn’t going anywhere, there is no need to rush.” His protests were ignored as he was already tugged out of the house. A few soldiers followed to direct them to the carriage.

Richard and Anna rolled their eyes at Alfred’s eagerness. While the boys were not their own children, both Matthew and Alfred were part of the Jones family. Anna always knew that those two were meant for something special, and now Alfred was finally getting his wish to see the Capital, but it still hurt to watch them hurry off. Being king offered many opportunities for the heroics that Alfred loved, yet being king was also a lot of responsibility filled with tough choices and sometimes dangerous consequences. Anna hoped that Alfred could take such a challenge, and that Matthew would be there to always support his brother.

The Captain with the rest of the guard filed out of the house, followed by Anna and Richard. Matthew and Alfred were already by the carriage; the latter was running circles around the fancy coach and horses. The smooth oak wood was dyed a royal blue with elaborate golden filigree decorating the sides. An equally impressive gilded Spade design decorated the door, lines so thin that it seemed to be lacework. On the roof a fancy golden latticework shone in the afternoon sun. There were also four crystal-like lanterns that effortlessly swayed from their hooks attached to the coach. Alfred stopped in front of the two horses that were harnessed to the carriage. They were two huge, black horses that did not seem as impressed as Alfred; one let out a massive snort into the boys face when he got too close.

“Whoa, this is so awesome!” Alfred shouted in excitement and turned to the nearest guard. “This will be the first time I’ve ridden in a carriage. Can I get in now?”

A little taken aback by the boy’s eagerness, the guard let out a nervous chuckle. “Uh sure, I’ll help you get in.” He also turned to Matthew. “Would you like to get in as well?”

“Yes, please.” Matthew fidgeted. He was eager to sit in the carriage as well, but didn’t show his excitement like his brother.

The guard helped the two boys up the steps into the coach, Alfred all but bounced on the seat. The interior was lined and upholstered with the finest silk brocade incorporating more of the Spadian symbol. Alfred ran his hand along the cool smoothness of the seat, giving his brother the biggest grin.

“This is so cool!” Alfred’s shout managed to reach outside the carriage to the surrounding group of soldiers and his parents.

The captain of the guard let out a chuckle. “If Alfred is this excited over a carriage, I’m kind of worried how he will react to the actual Capital.”

“I suggest bringing rope, that way you can tie him down if he tries to climb through the window,” Anna suggested to the now highly amused captain.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” the soldier replied as they continued to watch the two boys in their elation.

The soldiers began to check their supplies, arranging for the ride back to Zelené. Harnesses were tightened and a quick inventory of the supplies was taken. The Captain seemed to be preparing to board the carriage when Richard quickly caught his arm.

“Now you best take good care of our sons.” Richard gave the soldier a hard glare. He didn’t care if they were the soldiers of the royal army, if something happened to his sons then there would be hell to pay.

The captain placed a pacifying hand on the father’s shoulders, understanding the burden that the parents were facing. “I can assure you that they could not be in finer hands. No harm will come to both of them.”

Richard nodded in response, letting the captain go to climb up to the box seat of the carriage. The rest of the soldiers dispersed their horses to surround the coach, offering protection on all sides. Alfred and Matthew leaned out the window, Alfred waving wildly while Matthew was more subdued in a final farewell to their parents. The captain gave the all clear and with a flick of the reigns the carriage jerked into motion.

Alfred watched as the little town he had lived in for all his life slowly moved across the window. Little shops that he would often frequent, and Joseph’s inn where his mark first appeared, vanished past his window. Soon the small houses became a sparse sight and altogether vanished, woods and forest replacing the town scenery. Alfred saw a wooden sign flash past the coach, a road marker, and he gave his brother a massive smile. That sign was the farthest the two boys had ventured out of their little town; with each new minute brought new sights to Alfred and Matthew.

Alfred settled somewhat content just to watch the world pass by. “This is the start of a great adventure Mattie, I can just feel it.”


	5. You really need to look before you leap

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few things before you begin, I would like to point out that the Capital of Spades now has a name! Yay, its called Zelené. (It was getting rather repetitive, saying "the Capital") :P 
> 
> I would like to thank my awesome beta reader for helping me come up with it, and I hope this will clear up any confusion.
> 
> And thanks again to my beta, cause I really suck at grammar and they have done a fantastic job at editing :D
> 
> As usual, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy!

The week trip to Zelené seemed to pass in the blink of an eye for Alfred. Everyday brought him and his brother closer to the Capital but Alfred couldn’t help but be distracted by all the new things he was seeing. There were new towns and cities that the group passed through, new foods that Alfred got to try and new people Alfred got to meet. However, their traveling was coming to an end as the captain of the guard had just informed the boys that they were a few hours away from Zelené.

Alfred was bouncing on his seat. “Oh Mattie aren’t you excited?! We’re almost at the Capital.”

“Ecstatic.” Matthew rolled his eyes at his brother delight. “You might want to calm down a bit, the soldier said it would still be a couple of hours.”

Alfred stuck out his tongue and blew a raspberry at his brother. “Don’t be such a stick in the mud, I know you’re excited too.”

Matthew only shook his head at his brother and watched in amusement as Alfred all but stuck his face to the window, hoping to catch the first glimpse of Zelené. While Alfred fidgeted in his seat, Matthew reclined back allowing the warm afternoon sun to dance across his lap. The warm sun and the gentle sway of the carriage soon caused Matthew’s eyelids to grow heavy and not long after he drifted off to sleep.

It only felt like a few minutes since he closed his eyes before Matthew heard Alfred’s shout. “By the Divines! Matthew look, look! I think I see it!”

Matthew was all but dragged to the window, groggily rubbing the sleep out of his eyes to look as his brother wanted. The carriage was going up a small hill and all that Matthew could see was trees, bushes and the road.

“Al, that’s not funny. At least wake me when we actually get there.”

Alfred’s face puffed out to pout. “No I saw it, there was a tower over the hill. Can’t you see it?”

Matthew took another look, squinting his eyes against the sunlight. He spotted the lone tower just above the peak of the hill. “It’s just a single tower, how do you know it’s the Capital?”

“I just know.”

The captain that was sitting in the box seat of the carriage heard the boys starting to argue in the coach and decided to end the debate. “Your Majesty, young Matthew if you look out the window you should be able to see the Capital of Spades just over this hill.”

“Told you.” Alfred taunted his brother, sticking his tongue out but soon went back to looking out the window to get a better look.

Now more awake, Matthew’s curiosity was piqued and he too leaned his head out the window with his brother. Soon both boys sucked in a breath as their eyes took in the sight before them.

As the carriage crested the final hill on their journey Zelené, the Capital, of Spades finally came into view. The afternoon sun seemed to illuminate the approaching city, creating an almost glowing effect on the light blue marble of the palace. The city was huge in comparison to anything that Alfred had seen, seeming to stretch on forever. A massive stonewall, interspersed with watchtowers, surrounded the entire city, giving protection to the citizens within. Zelené was built on a gradual up-slope creating different levels within the city. The blue marble palace was in the center of the Capital at the highest point standing as a silent guardian guarding over the city with its elegant towers reaching for the heavens. A wall similar to the one surrounding the city also circled the palace that safeguarded the royals. 

“Wow! It’s so cool!” Alfred shouted as his eyes widened to take in this new sight.

Alfred was near to falling out of the carriage as he stretched his body out the window to get a better look. Matthew had to grab the back of his brother’s shirt to keep him from slipping out and falling flat on his face. The captain of the guard gave the two boys a glance at the young king’s shout and let out a boisterous laugh at their antics.

“Your Majesty, I do suggest that you sit properly in your seat. I would hate for you to get injured so close to the end of our travels.” The captain lightly chided the energetic boy.

“Fine.” Alfred huffed as he plopped back down to his seat. However, he still grasped the edge of the window, head tilting out.

The trip to the main gates was short and soon both boys gazed up in wonder as a giant stonewall blocked the bright sunlight from their eyes. Two massive gates were swung open to allow travelers and merchants to pass through under the careful observation of the guards. The gates were made out of ironbark, one of Cards’ hardest trees, and they were reinforced with metal, making this door almost indestructible. Upon closer inspection, you could see horses and warriors in an epic battle engraved into the metal, adding even more beauty to the gates. It’s an impressive sight to see.

The group easily passed through, the captain giving a small nod to one of the guards on duty. “Inform the palace that we have found him.”

There was a bustle of movement in the garrison of the main gate before a young recruit gave a short salute and a ‘yes sir’ to the captain before dashing off towards the palace. A few of the guards who were taking a break, glanced in curiosity as the carriage slowly passed by, eager to get a look at their new king.

The young king though was oblivious to the curious stares directed towards him. Alfred was currently too busy staring wide eyed, mouth agape, at the city before him. The streets were busy filled with people going about their everyday business, making the progress of the carriage slower than normal. This slower pace allowed Alfred to take in the chaotic streets. The roadways were lined with houses and shops alike; the buildings were quaint, made of stone and wood with chimneys puffing out fluffy white smoke. Some of the more aged buildings seemed to lean inwards, creating an arch feel to some of the roads.

Turning a corner, the carriage headed towards the center of the city, passing various stalls where merchants tried to haggle their goods to wandering travellers that passed by. As they continued forward, the streets were becoming more congested with people. Turning one more corner they arrived at the heart of the city, an open square walled with hundreds of people and vendors. Smells and colours bombarded Alfred’s senses, the smell of fresh baked bread or cooking meat from one of the vendors. A stall filled with vibrant colours that displayed scarves and dresses for sale.

Alfred simply started in amazement, his mind too dazed with the sights and smells that flooded his senses. “Can I try some of that?” He pointed to a stall selling food. “Oh, what's that? Can we go there? What about there?”

“Lets get to the palace first, Your Majesty,” the captain replied.

“But I wanna look here some more.” Alfred pouted back.

The soldier shook his head in amusement. “We can come back to the market later, Alfred. It’s like this every day.”

“No way! Really? Sweet!” Alfred exclaimed in excitement.

Alfred turned to look at his brother to see if he was enjoying this as much as he was. A huge smile spread across Alfred’s face as he saw Matthew gawking out the window, while Matthew might be more quiet in his excitement, Alfred knew that his brother was having just as much fun.

The royal carriage gathered some attention as it passed through the main square. Soon whispers spread that the new king of Spades had finally been found and many turned to face the coach as it passed hoping to spot the new king. However, the sight that greeted the citizens was not an agedly king but a ten year old boy half out the window smiling like a fool, eyes wide with excitement, waving and greeting people that passed by. Some shook their heads and turned away while others gave a short wave back, causing Alfred’s smile to grow bigger if possible.

The carriage finally managed to turn off the busy market roads and was beginning its ascent towards the palace; easily moving up the gentle slope that lead to the palace wall and gate. The wall was built in similar fashion to the one surrounding the city. Except that the gate was made of metal grating with a simple design of a Spade, which was currently raised to allow the group through. The carriage continued forward on the cobblestoned road, gently rolling into the main courtyard of the palace. The road lead to a beautiful fountain situated in front of the main entrance of the palace with carved mythical creatures frolicking in the water. The courtyard itself was spacious, soft green grass spread out to the sparring arena where a few young guards were training in combat. Further to the right the sound of horses pawing at the ground came from a stable; to the left was a vast and luxurious garden showcasing an assortment of flowers, bushes and trees that disappeared around a corner from Alfred’s sight.

Alfred thought that the market was amazing but looking at the palace simply blew his mind. The polished blue marble was stunning, ranging in colour from a light baby blue to a deep Ultramarine, which was highlighted with purple and white granite. The palace itself was massive; two wings branched out from the central entrance seeming to be a few stories high, which were shadowed by even more of the palace behind it. Multiple towers soared into the sky like figures reaching out. The various windows glittered in the sun causing the palace to almost shimmer.

“Your Majesty, young Matthew, welcome to the palace,” the captain said as the carriage came closer to the elaborate fountain.

Alfred however, had run out of patience and threw open the coach door, tumbling out onto the ground, managing to tangle Matthew up in the fall as well.

The captain gasped as he heard the two boys thump to the ground with a groan and pulled the carriage to a stop, quickly jumping off. “My king! Are you alright? Why did you jump out when the carriage was still moving?!”

Completely ignoring the worried captain, Alfred jumped to his feet, wide blue eyes scanning on where he should go exploring first. “Wow!” The thick growth of the garden drew his attention and he bolted off in that direction, his cowlick bobbing in his movement.

“Al wait for me.” Matthew shouted after his brother as he brushed the dirt off his clothes and he gave chase to Alfred.

“Your Majesty, young Matthew please wait! Come back!” The captain sprinted off after the two boys, however his armor significantly slowed him down as the boys further eluded his grasp. The rest of the soldiers that had traveled with them simply watched the amusing scene of their captain chasing the two boys.

Alfred did not slow down for his brother or the captain that was chasing him. His focus so intent on reaching the garden that he did not manage to see the person walking in front of him till it was too late. Alfred crashed head first before bouncing off and landing on his butt.

Rubbing both his head and his bottom, Alfred looked up apologetically at the stranger. “Ow, shoot I’m so sorry. I wasn’t paying attention to where I was goin’.”

As Alfred stood up slowly, he took in the appearance of the person he ran into. The person was a man wearing an elaborate oriental blue and white robe. The upper part of the outfit was made of fine blue silk ranging in various shades that ended near his mid thigh; a decorative sash of indigo tied at his waist. Underneath the long blue top was a flowing white skirt that gracefully brushed the ground. The Spade symbol was etched into each of the long flowing sleeves, as well as in the sash. On the man’s head rested a small blue hat, adorned with a peacock feather, slightly off skew most likely due to Alfred running into him. Alfred looked closer at the man’s face, he was oriental, his brown hair tied back into a long braid and his amber eyes gazed at Alfred in mild curiosity.

Alfred and the stranger’s gazed were pulled away from each other as his brother and the captain finally caught up to the escaped king. “Al! Don’t just run off without me!” Matthew huffed as he lightly rapped his brother’s head.

The captain also came up to Alfred and grabbed ahold of his shoulder. “Your Majesty, please I must present you to the Jack. You just can’t take off like that. What if you were hurt? Wait, did you get hurt?” The soldier began to fret, completely oblivious to the other individual standing in front of Alfred as he searched the king for injuries.

“I’m sorry and I feel fine, please stop worrying. I accidentally ran into–” Alfred tried to stop the fussing captain but was completely ignored.

“If anything happened to you the Queen is going to murder me, not to mention I’ll get reprimanded by the Jack. And I’ll probably get demoted, shit.” The captain murmured to himself still examining Alfred. “All I see are a few bruises, but –”  
The person that Alfred ran into cleared his throat, effectively pulling the stressed captain out of his thoughts. “Is everything all right, captain?”

“Master Yao!” The soldier’s eyes grew wide and his mouth gaped open.

“Captain?” Yao raised his eyebrow in question.

“I um, yes – uh.” The captain stammered before he took a deep breath to calm his thoughts. “Yes, everything is alright. We have returned with the King and I was just on my way to present him before you.”

Yao gave him a skeptical look. “So assuming this is the king.” He pointed to Alfred. “Your presenting him to me is having him run into me at full speed?”

The captain shrunk under the scrutinizing gaze of Yao. “Yes?” was his weak response.

While not completely up to speed with what was going on, Alfred got the gist that whoever this Yao is, he was not happy that the captain had let Alfred run off. “Um, look sir it’s not his fault that I ran off. I just didn’t listen, is all. Please don’t get mad at him. If anything it’s my fault,” Alfred said, hoping to take the blame off the soldier.

Seeing what Alfred was trying to do, Matthew also spoke up. “It’s true, my brother is not the best at doing what he’s told.”

“Hey! No one asked you to butt in.” Alfred huffed at his brother’s insult.

Yao turned his gaze down to the boys, taking in the two very pleading expressions. “Well, I must admit nearly being run down by a child is not the worst way I have met a king.”

Alfred, Matthew and the Captain let out a sigh of relief as Yao’s expression turned into an amused smile. Giving a small bow, the soldier stood. “Still forgive me. I will make sure that this doesn’t happen again.”

“It had better not, for it is not my wrath that you will incur but the Queen’s.” Yao watched the captain gulp. “I will take it from here, you are dismissed.”

“Yes sir.” The soldier bowed once more and walked away.

Yao turned to look at the two brothers once more. “I believe I have not formally introduced myself. My name is Yao Wang, I am the advisor to the King and Queen and I’m also known as the Jack.” He gave a formal bow, “And it is a pleasure to finally be meeting you, my King.”

“Cool! My name’s Alfred, and this here is my brother, Matthew.” Alfred said, pointing a thumb at his brother. “I can’t believe it, I’m meeting an actual monarch of Spades. This is so amazing! We can be friends right?”

“If you wish so, Your Majesty.” Yao gracefully replied, easily handling Alfred’s excitement.

Alfred scrunched his face up at the formal title. “Well I want to be friends, so that means you should call me Alfred. Friends don’t use formalities with each other.”

“Of course, Alfred.” Yao then turned to Matthew. “And it is a pleasure to be meeting the brother of the King. Is there something you would like me to call you?”

“Just Matthew is fine.” Matthew modestly replied.

Yao gave the soft-spoken boy a smile and nodded in reply. “Now that we have gotten the introductions out of the way, if you two would please follow me.”

“Are you going to show us around the palace?!” Alfred bounced in excitement.

“I think that there is someone that would much prefer to give you the tour himself. He has greatly anticipated your coming, Alfred,” Yao replied.

“Oh, really? Well who is he?”

“Your Queen. Now please come along.” Yao began to walk away, expecting that the two would follow him.

Alfred stood stunned to the spot before he turned a worried gaze to his brother. “MY Queen?” His voice squeaked on the way out.

“Come on Al.” Matthew tugged his brother along, not wanting to get left behind by the Jack and getting lost on their first day in the palace.

“But, I mean what if he doesn’t like me? What if I do something stupid and make him hate me?” Alfred fidgeted with his shirtsleeve nervously. He was too worried to take in the different corridors and hallways that they paced through. He was lost in his own thoughts as his brother dragged him along, his anxiety overcoming his excitement.

Matthew rolled his violet eyes at his brother’s uneasiness. “Al no offense but you will most likely do something stupid. It’s best to get it out of the way sooner than later.”

“Not helping, Matthew!”

“Just stating facts.”

Alfred huffed angrily at his brother, deciding that maybe Yao would be the better one to ask about his Queen. He quickened his pace to come up along side the Jack. “Yao, you know the Queen so what’s he like?”

Yao gave an encouraging smile to the young King, he had listened to the earlier worries that Alfred had and knew that the King and Queen would make a wonderful pair. Stopping in front of a large oak door, he placed a comforting hand on Alfred’s shoulder. “Why don’t you find out yourself?” He knocked on the door.

“Come in,” came a faint reply from behind the door and Alfred visibly gulped.

“I assure you that he will be pleasantly surprised by you Alfred, you have nothing to worry about,” Yao said in encouragement.

“Just make a good first impression,” Matthew supplied helpfully.

“Ya?” Alfred’s eyes brightened and a fierce determination came over him. “Alright, I’m gonna make the best first impression that there won’t be any chance he’ll hate me.”

Yao gave a small nod at the King’s assertion and opened the door, stepping in behind the two boys. The study was still the same, crammed full of books, the scent of tea in the air and reports piled high on the Queen’s desk. Arthur himself was once again hunched over his documents, not pausing to see who had disturbed his work.

Alfred let his gaze wander around the room first, taking in the multiple full bookcases on the walls, the elaborate fireplace and old grandfather clock. Other various antique objects were littered around the room and Alfred couldn’t help but let his wonderment out. “Wow, there’s so much cool stuff in here.”

“Hmm, what was that?” Arthur said, his mind was too distracted by his work as he diligently read and signed more documents.

Yao wanted to roll his eyes in impatience; this was the second time that he was ignored today. First the guard and now Arthur so once again he cleared his throat to gain the Queen's attention. “Your Highness.”

Hearing the familiar voice of his Jack Arthur scolded, “Yao I told you that you need not be so formal with me, Arthur is fine.” Shaking his head he looked up and his eyes went wide. Yao was not alone but standing with two boys.

The boys looked very similar but under closer observation, Arthur saw that one had the most incredible sky blue eyes while the other a soft violet. Their hair was slightly different as well, with the blue-eyed boy’s strange cowlick to the lighter shade of blonde on the violet-eyed boy. Arthur also noticed how one of them was staring intently at him.

“Arthur this is Alfred and his brother Matthew.” Yao put his hands on the boy’s shoulders to indicate which one was which. “And Alfred here is the new King.”

Arthur sputtered, “The King?! You mean this boy?” Arthur pointed at Alfred while he rose from behind his desk rushing towards them. “Yao why didn’t you tell me that the king had arrived? I should have been at the gates to greet him!”

“I did, but someone must have been too busy with his work to have listened to me.” Yao chastised.

Arthur’s face turned red in embarrassment. “I-” Arthur stopped himself before he got in an argument with his Jack. Letting out a deep sigh Arthur turned to Alfred giving a deep bow. “Please forgive me, my King. I have disregarded my duties as your queen and I am horrified at myself that I wasn’t at the gate to receive you.”

Arthur paused looking up at Alfred; seeing that he was still staring, Arthur continued on. “It is a pleasure to finally meet you. My name is Arthur Kirkland and I am the Queen of Spades.” Waiting for some response only to have the blue-eyed boy gape at him was beginning to make him anxious and confused. “Umm, my King?”

Arthur Kirkland, that was his name. In fact that was the only thing that Alfred seemed to have heard out of that whole conversation. The moment that Arthur had spoken he had captivated Alfred. Arthur’s voice was fluid and elegant and Alfred could only listen to how the words fell out of his mouth like music. His voice wasn’t the only thing that had mesmerized Alfred; when Arthur stood from behind his desk, the sunlight hitting his face, Alfred could see every little detail. How his periwinkle coat draped effortlessly over his body, blue silk vest tightened by spade buttons emphasized by the white bow tied around his neck. Arthur’s hair was like spun gold when highlighted by the sun; it splayed out around his head in an untamed halo. His small button nose, with just the faintest sprinkle of freckles, melted into the pale flawless skin of his face. Two bushy eyebrows, that were quite cute in Alfred’s opinion, emphasized the two most beautiful eyes Alfred had ever seen, a bright emerald green with golden flecks. Said eyes were now locked onto Alfred’s own sky blue eyes as if anticipating a response.

“Psst!” Matthew hissed into his brother’s ear, giving him a nudge with his elbow. “Earth to Al, say something.”

Shocked with being pulled out of his thoughts and having no clue what was going on, Alfred said the first thing that came to mind. “Wow! You have the biggest eyebrows I have ever seen.”

Matthew slapped a hand to his forehead and shook his head at his brother’s idiocy. Meanwhile, Yao was trying his hardest not to laugh, hand coming up to his lips to hold back the escaping snickers as he watched Arthur’s scowling face turn red in embarrassment and anger.

“Well so much for making a good first impression Al.” Matthew muttered to himself.


	6. Friends, fun and food

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that this one took a little bit longer, University profs love to ruin my life by handing out end of the term projects >:P
> 
> As usual, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy!

Arthur’s face was drawn down into a scowl, his eyebrows pinching forward; eyes burning in anger as his face lit up red in embarrassment. It had not been even five minutes since meeting the future king, and Arthur was livid and outraged at being mock by a young boy. It was a well-known fact that the Queen’s eyebrows were larger than most, but that gave Alfred no right to go and point it out.

Matthew watched as the Queen fumed at Alfred’s rude comment. “Al, I think you’ve upset him. Apologize,” he whispered to his brother, hoping that Alfred could fix this before it got too bad.

“What?” Alfred turned to his brother confused; he didn’t mean his comment in a bad way. In fact, he kinda liked them. Looking back at the angry Arthur though confirmed his brother’s observations, and he panicked, hoping to explain himself. “I mean I like your eyebrows. Ya, you see they’re cute.”

As fast as Arthur’s anger had come, it seemed to short-circuit just as quick at the sweet words and innocent smiling face of the king. “Cute?!” Arthur squeaked out, his face now entirely red from embarrassment.

“Yep.” Alfred continued smiling as he watched Arthur’s face go from a scowl to stunned amazement.

Arthur took a deep breath to collect himself before turning his nose up and huffing, “I am not cute.” The red from his face receded somewhat, and he sheepishly reached up to scratch at the back of his neck as his proud façade crumbled. “But I thank you for the compliment.”

Yao watched in amused fascination as the young Alfred had reduced the queen to a flustered mess. Arthur was normally composed, the perfect monarch when meeting with dignitaries or dealing with hard situations. But it seemed to Yao that dealing with Alfred would be a whole new challenge for Arthur, one that he was much looking forward to watching.

“Arthur, these two boys have just arrived and while they should get some rest to recover from the strenuous journey here, I have it on good authority that they wish to be shown around first.” Yao winked in Alfred’s direction, not forgetting on how he was almost run over by the king’s excitement to see the palace.

Arthur nodded at the idea. “Then I will arrange for someone to escort them through the grounds. If that is what they wish?”

“Actually I was hoping that you would be the one to show them the palace.” Yao gave Arthur a mischievous smirk.

“But my work, I –” Arthur started to protest to the idea, but was interrupted as he felt an insistent tugging on his coat sleeve. 

“Please Arthur, I would really like it if you would should me and my brother around.” Alfred stared up at Arthur, his bright blue eyes begging with a slight pout to his face.

Matthew rolled his eyes at his brother’s puppy-dog face. It seemed that he was the only one immune to Alfred’s charms, as he watch Arthur all but crumble under his brother’s pleading gaze.

“Well, I–” Arthur turned and looked that the stack of documents still towering on his desk. “I guess it wouldn’t hurt to leave my work for a little while.” Arthur melted slightly at the hundred-watt smile that Alfred gave him.

“Yay!” Alfred cheered giving a little air fist pump. “Come on lets go, lets go!” He ran past Yao and out the door in excitement.

Arthur stared at the door slightly shocked, normally giving a tour meant you stay with the person that knew where they were going but Alfred had already taken off. “Uh, my King?”

“Don’t worry, he does this all the time. Might as well start walking.” Matthew grabbed Arthur’s hand pulling him along before he stopped and turned to Yao. “Thanks for bringing us here, Yao.”

“You're welcome, Matthew.” Yao gave a bow to Matthew and a smile to Arthur. “And Arthur, I’ll finish up here. Go and enjoy yourself.”

“Yes, well I guess we should go find the king then,” Arthur said.

“Oh, he’ll be back once he realizes that he has no idea where to go. We will just have to wait somewhere in the hall,” Matthew said in an unimpressed tone.

True to his word, Matthew and Arthur had only been out in the hallway for a few minutes before a sheepish Alfred trudged around the corner and into their sights. He went and stood before Arthur, looking down at his feet, scuffing the floor with his shoe, embarrassed.

Arthur thought that the boy was being incredibly adorable for being embarrassed at letting his excitement get the best of him. He couldn’t help but lightheartedly tease the boy. “What’s the matter my dear boy, I thought you wanted to see the palace? You seemed eager a few moments ago.”

“I do!” Alfred stated, looking at Arthur with blue eyes shining.

Arthur hummed. “Then perhaps it’s best if you don’t forget to bring your guide along. If you run off again I’ll be giving Matthew here a private tour, while you’ll be lost somewhere.” He gave a soft smile to the boy.

“Yes Arthur.” Alfred looked down dejectedly, missing the teasing tones of Arthur. But soon perked up as an idea came to him. “I know! You can hold my hand, that way I can always be by your side.”

Arthur’s green eyes widened in surprise at the tiny hand being offered to him, it had been centuries since someone had offered him such a simple gesture. He hesitantly reached out and grasped the smaller hand in his. Arthur’s own hand dwarfed Alfred’s smaller one but Alfred’s grip was firm and somewhat calming. Arthur felt a warm, fluttering feeling building in the bottom of his chest as this ten year old boy, with wheat blonde hair and stunning, sky blue eyes, gave him a smile that would put the sun to shame.

“Yes, that would be a great idea,” Arthur said with a soft squeeze to Alfred’s hand. He also reached out to Matthew with his other empty hand. “Matthew, would you like to as well?”

Matthew gave a timid nod, face slightly red, as he gently grasped the other hand. “Thank you,” was his small mumbled response.

“Alright, I do think it’s about time we get moving. The palace is quite large so if you two wish to see it all today, then we cannot waste anymore daylight,” Arthur said as they started off down the hallway.

Yao watched the three disappear down the corridor; he could hear Alfred rattling off questions and comments in a never-ending stream of words, while gesturing wildly with his hand. Matthew, on the other hand, was a silent companion, nodding with his brother if necessary with a soft smile. The true wonder though, was Arthur. It had been a long time for Yao since he had seen Arthur looking so relaxed and he dare say pleased. All the stress and tension was ebbing from Arthur’s shoulders the longer he stayed in the two boys’ presence, and a peaceful smile replaced the normally dark scowl whenever he looked at Alfred. Yao let out a soft chuckle at the three of them before turning to the study to finish the rest of the documents.

* * *

The sounds of hushed laughter and running feet echoed around the vast library. Arthur was currently sitting in a plush armchair, watching Alfred and Matthew explore the massive library. The amount of books here put Arthur’s study to shame. Being four stories tall, the middle bookshelves towered over the boys, needing ladders to reach the top shelves. Each floor had a landing that circled the outer walls, which were jammed full of manuscripts. A few spiral staircases braved the heights, connecting the ground level to the top level. Swaths of sunlight bathed the interior of the room from the multilevel windows, and when night came a massive chandelier hung in the center, ready to provide illumination.

“Arthur! This is so amazing!” Alfred tried whispering, but failed miserably as he bounded over to Arthur. “And all of this is open to the public?”

Arthur gave a warm smile to the excited boy. “Yes, however they first must have an appointment with the archivist, which isn’t that hard to acquire. Though many of the citizens don’t even bother as there are many libraries interspersed throughout the city.”

“Wow!” Alfred gave Arthur a wide smile. “In the town where I grew up, we didn’t have anything like this. My mum only had a few books that she would read to me and Mattie before bedtime.”

“Well, this all belongs to you now, so you can read as much as you like. Or perhaps I could read you a few of my favorite books?” Arthur asked sheepishly, looking at his lap and fidgeting with his coat sleeve. “But only of you wanted me to.”   

Arthur’s gaze was brought back up to the smiling boy when Alfred reached out and grabbed his hand. “Can you please? I would love that, Arthur.”

A warm, tender feeling spread inside Arthur as Alfred gazed at him with those lovely, sky blue, eyes. “Anything for my King.”

“No, it’s my  _ Alfred _ , not my king. I don’t like using titles.” Alfred stubbornly corrected Arthur, a determined pout on his face.

“Alfred it is then.” Arthur said as he ruffled the boy’s soft hair, the cowlick remaining upright even after it had been pushed down.

Standing up, Arthur looked around for Matthew and spotted him already sitting in an oversized chair with his face buried in a book. Turning to Alfred, he whispered into his ear. “I think it’s about time we move on before we lose your brother to the world of books.”

Alfred’s eyes widened as he rushed over to his brother, quickly pulling him off his chair and away from the book. Matthew was all but glaring at his brother when he was tugged to the library door where Arthur was waiting.

“I think we should see the throne room next. That is where you, Alfred, will be spending most of your time doing kingly duties.” Arthur explains as they started off down the hallway. He also leaned down to whisper into Matthew’s angry ear, “Don’t worry, you can come back here whenever you please.” This earned a heartfelt smile from the violet-eyed boy.

The corridor that the trio was walking through was similar to the many others they had already been through. Checkered white and blue polished marble floors, smooth stonewalls, and elaborate arched windows framed by blue curtains. There would sometimes be statues or suits of armor, even a few paintings along the walls, adding a bit of décor.

At the end of this corridor was another beautifully carved door, though Alfred didn’t get to see what the carving was before two guards parted the door to let them through. As Arthur brought the two boys to the new room, Alfred’s jaw nearly hit the floor.

The throne room was enormous, reaching up at least three stories and stretched into a long rectangle. Their footsteps echoed around the vast space as they walked across a smaller side aisle. Going under one of the grand stone arches, which spanned both sides of the room, they stood in the center of the main aisle that lead to the thrones. Light spilled in from the various high-up windows that lined the walls, while numerous wall sconces on the columns held candles that were softly glowing. Alfred counted at least three multi-tier chandeliers hanging from the rafters in the ceiling, along with blue Spadian banners that hung at regular intervals along the long room.

Alfred walked to the long blue carpet that lay on the checkered floor of the room heading towards the thrones located at the end of the hall. The carpet ended at the raised platform of the thrones and Alfred made his way up the few steps to get a closer look. There were two chairs, one slightly larger than the other, sitting in front of three beautiful, large, stained glass windows. The bigger throne seemed to draw Alfred in, carved from stone with an elaborate Spade design along its tall back with a blue satin cushion.

A soft hand was placed on Alfred’s shoulder startling him out of his thoughts. “That’s the king’s throne.” Arthur spoke in a reverent tone.

Alfred gulped nervously. “You mean that I’ll have to sit on this huge chair?”

Arthur gave a small chuckle. “Yes, Alfred.” He looked at the boy who seemed to get more anxious at the thought of holding court. “But worry not, if you ever need help I will be in the throne next to you.” Arthur pointed to the similar, smaller, chair that was placed beside the king’s throne.

“Well, then I guess that’s ok then, as long as you’re with me.” Alfred gave a smile to Arthur.

Matthew had also wandered over to look at the thrones and had listened to Alfred’s unease. Also hoping to help ease his brother’s nerves, he said, “I think you will look pretty heroic sitting on this throne too, Al.”

“Really?!” Alfred’s excitement came back in full force. “Alright, let's keep going then. We have so much more to see, right Arthur?”

“Uh, well we could go to the dining hall.” Arthur answered.

“Come on then, let’s go. Time’s a wasting.” Alfred tugged Arthur’s arm.

Going through more corridors and doorways, they arrived at the main dining hall. It was no less extravagant than the rest of the palace. Massive windows lined the one wall, letting natural light flood into the room. More Spadian heraldry was draped from the walls, and an enormous table filled the center of the room. Alfred lost count of the number of chairs that sat at the table.

“This is where we are supposed to eat?” Alfred asked in awe. “How come there’s so many chairs? Isn’t this a bit excessive?”

“While this does serve as the normal dining hall, it was built to be able to hold feasts for when foreign dignitaries visit,” Arthur answers.

Alfred gripped Arthur’s sleeve in excitement. “You mean like a party? With lots of food?”

“Yes, I guess you could say like a party. But the food is much more extravagant. We hire the best chefs to cater such events, and I dare say it tastes better than Diamonds’ food.” Arthur bragged.

“Mmmm, food.” Alfred’s thoughts began to drift, his mind imagining all the fancy dishes that he wished to try.

Matthew rolled his eyes at his brother’s glazed face, and turned to Arthur. “He has a one track mind, you can bribe him to do almost anything with food.”

“Nothing wrong with having a young, growing, boy having a healthy appetite.” Arthur laughed.

“Trust me, you have no idea. You had best lock the pantry now that he’s here.”

A loud grumble interrupted Arthur and Matthew, drawing their attention to a currently embarrassed Alfred. Instead of the distant look Alfred had before, he was now nonchalantly looking around.

“Umm Alfred?” Arthur questioned, “was that your stomach?”

“No.” Alfred said way too fast for it to be true. His ears started to burn red.

Matthew snickered at his brother. “That was so you, Alfred. Don’t even try to lie, your ears still turn red when you try to.”

“Really?” Arthur raised his eyebrow in question. “That’s a good tip to know, Matthew.”

Alfred quickly grabbed his ears in mortification. “They do not! Stop looking at them.”

“Worry not, your secret’s safe with me,” Arthur said reassuringly, ruffling Alfred’s hair. “But I truly want to know if you are hungry.”

“Maybe,” Alfred said stubbornly, still pouting.

Arthur gave a quick tug on Alfred’s cowlick. “Alfred.”

“Yes.” Alfred admitted, dejectedly.

“Well, it’s only a few hours after noon, the kitchen might still have some left over food. That is, if you want food.” Arthur gave a knowing smirk to Matthew, as he watched Alfred’s eyes light up at the mention of food.

“That sounds great.” Alfred’s excited mood was back in full force. His eyes lighting up in delight at his idea, “we could even have a picnic! That way we can have lunch and see that cool garden I saw when I arrived.”

“What a great idea, Alfred.” Matthew praised his brother’s thoughtfulness.

“A picnic?” Arthur questioned.

“Ya, where you eat outside and stuff,” Alfred said happily. He then looked at Arthur’s confused expression. “Wait, you have had a picnic before, right Arthur?”

“Of course I have.” Arthur huffed. “It’s just, well I haven’t had a picnic in a very long time. They are rather childish, in my opinion.”

“Naw, they’re fun,” Alfred corrected. “And you’re never too old for fun. Please Arthur, can’t we have a picnic?” Alfred begged, giving Arthur his puppy-eyes.

Arthur, unable to resist Alfred’s adorable expression, crumbled. “I guess I don’t see a problem with a picnic then.”

The walk to the kitchen was rather short, taking a servant hallway to quicken the journey. A wonderful smell assaulted Alfred’s nose and he took off after the scent, leaving behind Arthur and Matthew, and ending up in the kitchen. There were a few staff members prepping for dinner in the kitchen, and Alfred’s mouth drooled at some of the smells. A delicious looking pastry was sitting on a counter, drawing in his attention. Alfred reached out, hand just about to grasp the pastry before a hard crack landed on his head.

A slightly larger middle-aged woman wearing an apron, covered in flour, was wielding a wooden spoon in his direction. “Oi, boy I will not have any brats swipin’ food from the kitchen.”

“Sorry, miss.” Alfred apologized, rubbing his sore head. “I’m hungry and it smelled really good.”

“Don’t care. You can wait till dinner like the rest of the palace.” The woman scolded, poking the spoon on Alfred’s chest.

The sound of someone clearing their throat, brought both the elder woman and Alfred’s gaze up to an amused Arthur and Matthew.

“Alfred, I don’t know if I should praise Miss Gretchen for hitting you with a spoon or scold her.” Arthur crossed his arms, shaking his head at the boy for running off and leaving behind both him and his brother.

“Sorry, Your Majesty, I did not mean for you to see such a disgraceful scene. I was simply teaching this ruffian of a boy not to steal from the kitchen.” Gretchen gave a respectful bow to Arthur.

Arthur gave a hearty laugh. “A ruffian? I had no idea that the new king would have the title of a ruffian.”

“The king?” Gretchen’s eyes widened only slightly, then switched to a hard glare. “I don’t care if the boy is the king, he could be one of the bloody Divines, but the rules still apply. I will not have anyone pilfering my food.”

“Please forgive my brother, miss.” Matthew stepped forward. “He thinks with his stomach and not his brain.”

“Hey!” Alfred gave an angry shout at his brother’s insult, but was completely ignored.

“Is there is anything we could  to make it up to you ? Perhaps help you with your baking? Alfred and I always helped our mother in the kitchen.” Matthew proposed his idea.

“Oh, who is this adorable cutie?” Gretchen reached out, pinching Matthew’s cheek.

“His name is Matthew, the king’s brother.” Arthur replied.

“He is just so sweet.” She continued to coo over the, blushing, violet-eyed boy. “As much as I appreciate the offer to help, I already have enough hands in the kitchen. Plus, if you two tried to help right now, I fear that Arthur might try his hand at cooking again and I would rather not have another fire.” Gretchen snickered at the queen.

“That was one time!” Arthur spluttered in embarrassment, face turning red.  

“Arthur cooks?” Alfred asked in excitement. “Could you make me something? I bet it would taste delicious.”

“It’s more like a death sentence,” Gretchen mumbled.

Arthur scowled at the head chef, while answering Alfred, “Yes, I would be delighted to make you something. However, that will have to wait for another time if you wish to still have a picnic.”

“Picnic!” Alfred cheered.

“You?” Gretchen pointed at Arthur, laughing. “Going on a picnic?”

“Just prepare a basket.” Arthur huffed.

“Of course, just wait a few minutes.” Gretchen fetched a basket, filling it with various food and snacks. She also picked up the pastry that Alfred had been eyeing and placed it in as well, giving the boy a wink. After finding a blanket, she handed it over to Arthur giving him a soft smile. “Do have fun, Arthur.”

“We’ll have lots!” Alfred answered for Arthur, grabbing both his brother’s hand and Arthur’s coat, leading them off to the gardens.

“Thank you for the food.” Matthew managed to shout out to Gretchen as they disappeared out of the kitchen.

* * *

Alfred, Matthew and Arthur were sitting on a red and white checkered blanket, plates and food spread out around them. The warm afternoon sun shone down through the leaves, making the shadows dance. They were currently sitting under an Eastern redbud, the pink leaves blowing in the wind. The sweet scent of the various flowers hung in the air.

“Wis gawden is awazng!” Alfred managed to get out around his mouthful of food. A few crumbs went flying out of his mouth.

“Alfred, swallow first then speak. Then I might be able to understand what you are saying. Also, it’s rude to talk with your mouth full,” Arthur corrected Alfred’s behavior.

Alfred audibly gulped his food down. “I said this garden is amazing!”

“Well it should be, I put a lot of work in taking care of it.” Arthur puffed up his chest in pride.

“You did all this by yourself?” Matthew asked in amazement. “It truly is beautiful.”

“Thank you, Matthew.” Arthur smiled at the boy. “Though, I do have to admit there are gardeners that help with what I cannot do.”

Alfred’s gazed wandered around to the different types of floral arrangements till his eyes landed on a gorgeous rosebush, the blood red flowers were out in full bloom. Wasting no time, Alfred leapt to his feet and raced over to the roses, sticking his face into one of the flowers, breathing in the sweet scent.

“Wow, I have never seen a rose bush quite like this. The roses are stunning and they smell so sweet!” Alfred exclaimed his nose still buried in the flower.

“Of course it’s stunning, roses are my favorite so I put the most time in taking care of them,” Arthur boasted.

“You’re so cool, Artie!”  Alfred said, as he sat back down beside his brother and Arthur on the blanket. He gave a massive smile to Arthur as his admiration of his queen rose.

Arthur choked on the tea that he had been drink, bringing his hand up to cover his mouth. “My name is Arthur,  _ not _ Artie,” Arthur reprimanded.

Alfred’s smile slipped off his face as Arthur gave him a scowl. “Sorry, Arthur.”

Alfred looked like a sad puppy, in Arthur’s eyes; even the ever-present cowlick seemed to droop with the fall in his Alfred’s mood. Guilt turned in Arthur’s stomach and he quickly thought of something to cheer up the blue-eyed boy. “How about I show you boys something more amazing than flowers.”

“There’s something cooler than this?” Alfred asked. With his curiosity piqued, a new shining light of anticipation brightened his sky-blue eyes. 

“Do you believe in magic?” Arthur asked, now having gained both Alfred and Matthew’s attention.

“Magic?” Matthew questioned.

“Pft, there’s no such thing,” Alfred scoffed.

“Really?” Arthur raised his eyebrow in question, a smirk on his face. “Watch closely then.”

Arthur clasped his hands together, eyes closed in concentration. Alfred and Matthew leaned in closer to Arthur’s hands as he began to softly murmur strange words. A soft, blue, glowing light seeped through the cracks in Arthur’s fingers and the two boys’ eyes went wide. Arthur took a peek at Alfred’s face and almost chuckled at the fascinated expression he wore, nose nearly touching Arthur’s hands. With a deep breath, Arthur opened his hands and dozens of luminous, blue butterflies flittered from his palms. The butterflies flew only a few feet above their heads before they disappeared in a flash of sparkling dust.

“Wow!” Both Alfred and Matthew exclaimed at the same time.

“Do it again, do it again!” Alfred cheered, pulling Arthur’s sleeve in excitement.

“Please show us more, Arthur.” Matthew begged.

“Alright, calm down. You have to stop pulling my sleeve first, Alfred,” Arthur said with a chuckle.

“Yay!” Alfred said, settling down in front of Arthur with his brother.

Arthur couldn’t help the smile that stretched across his face. A warm feeling spread through his body at the attention he was receiving from the two boys. The shadows began to lengthen as the sun started its descent to the horizon; before Arthur knew he had spent hours entertaining Alfred and Matthew with his little magical tricks. Releasing the last spell, Arthur’s posture slumped, his muscles slightly sore with strain from using his magic for so long.

“I am sorry, but I do think I need a rest,” Arthur said as he stretched out his sore muscles.

“Awww.” The boys whined.

“Hey, Arthur,” Alfred started, “how come you can do magic?”

“Since I’m the queen. I have a greater connection to the land of Spades, allowing me to easily tap into the magical energy that runs through this land,” Arthur answered.

“So wait, does that mean I can do cool stuff like that, since I’m the king?!” Alfred asked in excitement.

Arthur pondered for a moment. “Well, it might be possible, however the king’s ability may differ from the queen’s. I have known a few kings that had immense strength or even the ability to manipulate time.”

“Really?” Alfred bounced with eagerness. “Hey, Mattie watch me. I’m gonna do magic!” Alfred exclaimed his brows furrowed in concentration, tongue sticking out of his mouth and arms extended like Arthur’s.

Arthur gave a hearty laugh at Alfred’s expression. “Not yet, you silly boy.” He gave Alfred’s hair a ruffle. “You will have to wait till after the coronation.”

“Why?” Alfred pouted.

“While you have been chosen by the Fates, the coronation acts as the finalization. I will present you with Chronos, the Spadian clock, and you will take an oath to the people of Spades. When the ceremony is completed, a bond will be formed that will allow you to access your ability as king.” Arthur explained.

“So when is the coronation?”

“Worry not Alfred, planning for the coronation has already begun. It will only be but a few weeks till we will be ready.” Arthur pacified the clearly impatient Alfred.

A massive yawn drew Arthur and Alfred’s attention to Matthew, who was tiredly rubbing his eyes. Sleep was tugging at Matthew who began to lean dangerously to one side before he rested against Arthur’s side.

Arthur let out a soft hum, gently stroking the soft blonde hair and watching the violet eyes close. “Looks like someone had too much excitement for one day. How about you, Alfred? Are you tired?”

“No, I’m not –” Alfred began to answer however a yawn escaped his mouth before he could finish.

Adjusting his grip on a now sleeping Matthew, Arthur stood up from the blanket, carefully balancing Matthew in his arms. “Come now, I doubt I could carry both of you should you fall asleep as well.”

“But I’m not sleepy,” Alfred protested. “I want you to keep showing me the palace, Arthur.

“I promise that I’ll show you the rest of the palace tomorrow. You have had a really long day and I do think you should get some rest. Plus, I still have some more paperwork that I have to finish,” Arthur reasoned.

“Do you really promise?” Despite being tired, Alfred gave an intense stare at Arthur, waiting for his response.

“Of course, Alfred.”

Alfred held out his hand, pinkie finger raised in the air. “Make it a pinkie promise.”

“What? Don’t be so childish, I already said I promised.” Arthur rolled his eyes at Alfred, but the boy didn’t move his finger still waiting. Letting out a sigh Arthur shifted Matthew to his hip, freeing one hand and wrapped his pinkie finger around Alfred’s. “I pinkie promise.”

Alfred let out a huge smile. “Thanks.” He adjusted his grip letting go of Arthur’s finger but still kept a hold of his hand.

“Alright then, let’s get you two to your bedrooms,” Arthur said.

Walking hand in hand with Alfred and Matthew clutched to his side, Arthur realized that he had spent nearly the entire day entertaining the two boys, and had enjoyed it. In fact, this was the first time in years that he didn’t worry about work and simply had fun. Arthur gave a comforting squeeze to Alfred’s hand as he smiled once again. 


	7. A good first impression is a must

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, I kinda got carried away with this chapter :P but it was just so much fun to write. So hopefully its not too long for anyone.
> 
> Also, I was really excited to post this, so my beta hasn't read it over yet. Please don't mind any mistakes, I will fix them later :P
> 
> And as usual, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy! :D

Alfred was nervously pacing around his bedroom, footsteps hushed on the plush carpet. His concentration was totally focused on his chest as he hopelessly tried tying the statin blue tie, which was dangling from his neck. It was the last piece of clothing that was gifted to him for his coronation. Alfred let out a frustrated sigh, flinging the offending piece of cloth somewhere in the room and standing in front of his full-length mirror.

A perfectly tailored, royal blue coat hung effortlessly off Alfred’s shoulders, black spade buttons glinting in the mid-morning sun. The crisp, white linen dress shirt contrasted nicely with the black dress pants. His golden hair, once nicely brushed, was a ruffled mess from the constant hand that would run through it in irritation.

“I can’t do this Mattie.” Alfred whined to his brother, who was sitting on the bed.

Matthew rolled his eyes at his brother, who was still fidgeting in front of the mirror. “Al, you’re stressing out. You just need to calm down and you’ll be fine.”

“Fine?!” Alfred’s voice came out in a squeak, whirling around to face his brother. “I am the farthest thing from the definition of fine! I am being presented as king today, I have to impress the other royal monarchs and I can’t even tie my stupid tie!”

“I can help you with the tie, Al. Just sit down and go through the steps Arthur rehearsed with you. That way, you don’t have to worry about messing anything up,” Matthew said, standing up and grabbing his brother’s tie.

Alfred’s eyes went comically wide. “If I mess up? Crap, I didn’t even think about that. What happens if I do mess it up? I don’t want to disappoint Arthur, but what if I forget something? Arthur will get angry. The people of Spades won’t want me as king. No, I can’t do this.”

“Al, deep breath! I never said that you _would_ mess up.” Matthew tried to calm down his brother’s growing hysteria.

“No!” Alfred dove towards his bed, grabbed the large comforter and buried himself under the blankets. His voice came out muffled from the covers, “if I just hide in here, then Arthur might not find me and I won’t make a fool out of myself.”

Matthew simply stared at the obvious lump that was now under the covers, shaking his head at his brother’s childish attitude. “I promised Arthur I would get you to the coronation on time, so staying here is not an option.” Matthew walked to the edge of the bed, grabbing the corner of the comforter. “You can come out the easy way or the hard way. What’s it going to be Alfred?”

The only response Matthew received was the tightening of the covers around the lump that was Alfred.

Matthew let out a sigh, mumbling under his breath, “guess it’s the hard way.”

Taking a stance, Matthew gathered all his strength and gave a mighty tug. The blankets were pulled taut between Alfred and Matthew’s struggling, Matthew now leaning with his body, hoping to pull the covers away. Despite all his effort, Matthew could have been trying to move a boulder for all the progress he made. Strength had always been Alfred’s strong suit, so with one last final tug, Matthew huffed and flopped down on top of his brother.

Alfred let out an oof as his brother landed on him, shifting into a more comfortable position under the covers. “Give up yet?” Alfred taunted.

Still lying on top of Alfred, Matthew slowly began running his hands along the covers looking for an opening. A victorious smile lit his face when his hand managed to find a way under the blankets.

“Nope, just switching tactics.” Matthew smirked, pushing his hand in further and poking at his brother’s side.

Alfred sucked in a large breath of air at the first jab to his side before he began to laugh hysterically under the onslaught of his brother’s tickling. His hands loosened their vice grip on the blankets, desperate to stop Matthew’s attack. Taking advantage of Alfred’s weakened state, Matthew managed to maneuver the covers off his brother while still keeping up his tickle attack.

“Stop! Please, stop!” Alfred begged, tears now streaming down his face.

Leaning forward, Matthew was nearly nose-to-nose with his brother, a grin on his face. “Do you give up, Alfred?”

“Yes!” Alfred managed to get out around his gasping for air.

“Good.” Matthew got off the bed, extending his hand out to his brother. “Now, let’s get this tie on you.”

Accepting his brother’s hand, Alfred stood somewhat shaky while his brother wrapped the blue silk around his neck. Watching Matthew smoothly knot his tie helped to calm Alfred down. Once the tie was adjusted on Alfred’s chest, Matthew fussed with the rest of the outfit, straightening his coat and smoothing the shirt and dress pants. Matthew even tried to flatten Alfred’s hair again, uselessly pressing against the unruly cowlick.

“There, you look amazing.” Matthew gave Alfred a warm smile, bringing him over to stand in front of the mirror again.

Alfred looked back into the mirror; still seeing the same image before, except this time with a tie, but most of the tension in his shoulders and face had disappeared. It seemed that Matthew’s tickle attack had managed to get Alfred out from his hiding but it also eased some of the nerves the new king was facing.

Alfred wrapped his brother in a massive hug. “Thank you.”

“It’s no problem, Al. It’s just a tie.” Matthew patted his brother’s back comfortingly.

“It’s not just for the tie.” Alfred mumbled into his brother’s shoulder. “You’re always there for me, I don’t think I could have done this without you.”

Matthew pulled Alfred back and looked him in the eyes. “I’ll always be there for you.”

A huge smile graced Alfred’s face, confidence flowing into his posture. “Alright Mattie, I’m gonna ace this coronation and wow Arthur with how great I am.”

“That’s the spirit Alfred.” Matthew encouraged. “We should probably get going, you don’t want to be la-” Matthew’s eyes grew wide as he looked at the clock. “We are going to be late!”

Alfred locked eyes with his brother. “Run?”

Matthew nodded in confirmation. “Run.”

Both boys sprinted out of Alfred’s room, racing towards the throne room where the coronation was to be held. The sounds of running feet echoed down the halls as Matthew and Alfred rushed through hallways and passed confused guards.

* * *

Alfred and Matthew skidded to a halt outside the main door that lead to the throne room, chests heaving. The two guards that stood on either side of the entrance watched in amusement as the two boys desperately tried to calm their rapid breathing.

“Did we make it in time?” Alfred asked in a puff, hands on his knees.

“Well, you were cutting it close, Your Majesty.” The closest guard replied. “But, it seems your running has paid off, as you have a few minutes to spare.”

“Yes!” Alfred gave a halfhearted fist pump, too tired from his mad dash.

Matthew let out a sigh in relief. “I’m certain you can take it from here Alfred. I’m going to slip around the side and sneak in from one of the side doors.” Giving his brother’s arm a firm squeeze, “You’ll do great, and good luck. See you inside.”   

After giving his encouragement, Matthew jogged down a different corridor, disappearing around the corner. Alfred was left to stare at the massive oak doors that separated him and a room full of dignitaries, nobles and Arthur. The nerves that had evaporated in his room came racing back to him, palms beginning to sweat from being clenched at his sides. The guards noticed their king’s grim expression as he stared down the doors, watching as he visibly flinched at the sound of trumpets echoing around the palace, signaling the start of the coronation.

“Don’t look so grim, it’s not like you're heading to your execution. Just remember to smile.” One of the guards encouraged before reaching out and opening the heavy wooden doors.

“Smile.” Alfred repeated halfheartedly. His muscles froze as the throne room was opened to him.

Hundreds of people stood waiting for the appearance of the future king of Spades. All available space was being used; save for the main aisle, which Alfred was supposed to walk down. Everyone was dressed in extravagant gowns and formal suits; all the ornamentation glimmering in the candlelight. The checkered white and blue marble floor was freshly polished, the Spadian banners cleaned of any dust and numerous blue roses line the columns in the room. Alfred couldn’t help but notice that the royal blue of Spades stood out even stronger in the room now that it was filled with the colors of the four kingdoms. Swaths of reds, yellows and greens marked the different monarchs of Cards and their entourage.

“Psst, Your Majesty. You have to go in now,” the guard beside him urged.

With an audible gulp, Alfred forced his legs into motion. His movements were stiff and awkward, walking towards the thrones. Alfred shrunk under the heavy gaze coming from all around him, eyes dropping to the floor. He could hear soft whispers beginning to circulate the room. Risking a glance towards his destination, Alfred peeked up and nearly stumbled.

Arthur stood on the raised platform for the thrones; patiently waiting for Alfred to make his way to him. In that moment, Alfred could not have been happier that Arthur was his queen. The sun was shining at just the right angle through the massive stained glass windows to capture Arthur in an ethereal glow. A delicate crown rested gracefully on his golden hair, the encrusted blue gems sparkling. His clothing was immaculate as it draped over his frame. While there were other individuals standing on the platform, Arthur’s aura of importance caused Alfred’s eyes to remain fixed on those dazzling green eyes with everything else fading away.

A soft, gentle smile graced Arthur’s face and Alfred felt his stomach flip-flop. Arthur’s full attention was focused on him, on his future king. Alfred took a deep breath, straightened his shoulders and raised his head high, a massive grin on his face. He was going to show everyone that he was a worthy king, and not cower. Now with confident strides, Alfred made his way to the thrones and stood beside Arthur.

An elderly man stood in front of Alfred and Arthur, dressed in simple robes designated for the leader of the religious following for the Divines. While the man seemed old and frail, his voice was clear and echoed throughout the room.

The elder cleric gestured to the whole room. “Today, we are here to celebrate a momentous occasion with the crowning of the new King of Spades. I thank all of the visiting kingdoms for coming and showing their continued support to our fair and prosperous Spades.” His serious gaze dropped down to look at Alfred. “Alfred F. Jones, your body has been marked with the symbol of Spades, signifying your chosen destiny to be our King. Do you promise to be a just king, protecting and serving the people of Spades?”

Alfred stared unwaveringly at the elder cleric, chest puffed up. “I do.”

Yao stepped forth carrying a pillow, a heavy crown and a small pocket watch rested against the silky cloth. Yao presented the objects to elderly man. The cleric, reverently, picked up the pocket watch first. The golden, spade shaped, pocket watch swung hypnotically in front of Alfred’s eyes and with mild interest, he noticed the clock hands were stationary.

“This is one of Spades’ most important treasures, and the final confirmation of your fate to be king. The clock is named Chronos, and it represents the connection the king has with his people, his queen and with Cards itself.  It will only tick for the true king of Spades, so Alfred if you would.” The cleric motioned for Alfred to take the pocket watch.

With no hesitation, Alfred accepted Chronos. Oddly, the watch was warm in his hands and his mark on his back tingled with the contact of Chronos in his hands. The room was silent, breaths held waiting for the faint sound of a ticking clock.

“Arthur?” Alfred whispered nervously, none of the hands on Chronos had moved yet.

“Patience, look.” Arthur replied with confidence.

Alfred looked down, eyes widening as the pocket watch began to glow a soft blue. Then, almost in slow motion, a light tick sounded throughout the room as the second hand started moving. A huge smile lit Alfred’s face as he looked up to Arthur.

The cleric spoke again, “Alfred. F Jones, you bear the mark of Spades and have been recognized by Chronos. Please kneel.”

Alfred dropped to one knee, head bent respectfully. The cleric lifted the gilded crown and rested its weight on top of his head. “From this day forth, Spades and all the kingdoms will recognize, you Alfred, as the eleventh King of Spades. Rise and embrace your destiny.”

Taking a deep breath, Alfred gathered his courage and stood, facing the room. “I thank all of you. While I may still be young, I hope to make all of Spades proud to have me as their king.” Alfred spoke, surprised by how strong his voice sounded.

A resounding cheer started from the center of the room and spread like wild fire, till it became somewhat deafening. Alfred let another massive smile spread across his face as he caught his brother in the crowd, excitedly cheering. A warm and comforting hand on his shoulder brought Alfred’s attention back to Arthur, who was wearing his own happy smile.

“You did wonderful, Alfred. I couldn’t have been more proud.” Arthur praised in a sweet voice.

* * *

The dining hall was filled with festive chatter and joyous laughter. After the crowning of the king, the occupants of the throne room were guided out and directed to a grand feast that was being held in the decorated, dining hall. The room was lit with the warm evening sun that shone through the windows. The massive table, situated in the center of the room, was filled with a vast amount of mouthwatering food and drink. The bustle of servants in and out of the room keep the table well stocked.

Groups of nobles formed around the room, the colors of blue, green, red and yellow mixing as distant friends caught up on life events. Alfred and Arthur stood and the end of the room, graciously greeting those that came up to congratulate the new king. Well, Arthur was the one that mostly greeting their guests. Alfred on the other hand, had lost his patience long ago and stared longingly at the food laid out before his eyes.

After yet another noble came and went, Arthur let out a suffering sigh. “Alfred, please try to look like you appreciate the nobles’ blessings.”

“But Arthur,” Alfred whined. “Food.”

“Yes, I know. But we still have to see the other monarchs, so just hold on a little bit longer,” Arthur said. Truthfully, even he was getting fed up with all the congratulations.

“Fine.” Alfred pouted, fidgeting impatiently with Chronos’s golden chain.

“Thank you, Alfred.” Arthur gave the young boy a smile. “I promise after this you can eat all the food you want.”

Alfred gave a nod, returning Arthur’s smile. If it made Arthur happy then Alfred would stand here for as long as needed. However, his resolve was tested as he spotted his brother, happily munching down a plateful of food.

“Not fair.” Alfred mumbled to the floor, till the swish of fabric brought his attention back up.

Three individuals, dressed in yellows, oranges and gold, made their way to Arthur and Alfred. The tallest man was dressed in a deep, yellow coat; a frilly white shirt and orange pantaloons. He had waving blond hair, a soft sprinkle of facial hair and deep blue eyes. The young girl wore a modest, yellow and cream dress; a crown of daisies weaved into her short blond hair. Her face was soft and innocent. Alfred met her blue-green eyes and she smiled. The other man was dressed in an orange vest and pants, his hair was similar to the young girl beside him, but his face was much sterner.

“Diamonds.” Arthur quickly whispered to Alfred before bowing his head in respect. “King Francis, Queen Lili and Jack Basch, thank you for attending the coronation. I do hope your journey was not too stressful.”

“My Arthur, always so formal. Why don’t we skip the formalities and get reacquainted?” Francis suavely reached out, lightly grasping Arthur’s hand and kissing his knuckles.

Alfred’s eyes widened, gut churning with jealousy, his fist clenched at his sides as he watched this king blatantly flirt with his queen. However, the jealousy quickly disappeared as he watched Arthur’s pleasant smile slip off his face and into a scowl.

“Do that again Frog, and I will not hesitate to knock your teeth out,” Arthur threatened.

Francis gave a fake gasp. “And ruin this handsome face, I think not.”

“It will most likely be an improvement,” Arthur grounded out.

“Tsk, tsk.” Francis reprimanded Arthur. “Always so violent, _mon lapin_. It ruins your cuteness.”

“Don’t call me that.” Arthur seethed.

Seeing how red Arthur’s face was getting, Alfred gallantly stepped in front of his queen, acting as a small barrier. Glaring at Francis, Alfred said, “I must politely ask you to stop irritating _my_ queen.”

Francis’ eyes widened in surprise at the little boy glaring at him, giving him a quick up and down look before smirking. “My, my what a spirited little king you’ve managed to find yourself, Arthur. Not to mention, I’m sure he will grow up into a fine- looking man.”

“Keep your perverted thoughts to yourself, Frog.” Arthur growled, possessively grabbing Alfred and dragged him back against him.

“I am offended that you think of me that way, _mon lapin_.” Francis threw a hand over his heart, face wounded. “Besides, my heart has already been stolen by a sweet petit angel.”

Arthur narrowed his eyes suspiciously. “You’d better not be harassing the servants again.”

Francis shook his head. “ _Non_ , I believe he is a guest that is attending the coronation.” Francis, then dreamily looked off into the distance. “Such soft blonde hair, like gentle waves. His face is sweet and innocent, his movements graceful. And his eyes, oh those hypnotic eyes, such a captivating lavender.”

“Lavender eyes?” Alfred asked, uneasy.

“Yes. In fact, his appearance is very similar to yours, Your Majesty.” Francis stated, boldly. “You wouldn’t happen to know whom I speak of?”

“Someone who is off limits,” Arthur stated, being interrupted by Francis’s protest, but continued on. “He is the king’s, _ten year old_ , brother. So I expect you to behave and keep your hands to yourself.”

Francis’s face lit up in excitement, looking at Alfred. “Your brother?” Then gave a smirk to Arthur. “Well, it seems that we will be spending more time together, _mon lapin_ , as my sweet angel will call me back to Spades.”

“No! I can barely stand you as is,” Arthur grounded out.

“You would keep me from _mon amour_?” Francis asked in shock.

Arthur sputtered in outrage. “Your love? Francis, you just met the boy! You don’t love him, it’s just your perverted thoughts clouding your judgment.”

“But Arthur, it was love at first sight.”

Alfred could only stare, perplexed as he watched Arthur and Francis start arguing. The language was quickly switching back and forth between Spades’ and Diamonds’ native tongue, and soon Alfred had no idea what was going on. Arthur’s face was bright red, finger poking, accusingly at Francis’s chest while the king of diamonds easily brushed away the angry gesture.

A soft, high pitched giggle drew Alfred’s attention away from Arthur and Francis to the young girl before him. “Those two are always so lively, it's quite amusing to watch.”

“Uhh, ya. I mean I’ve never seen Arthur act like this before,” Alfred said.

Queen Lili gave a small bow to Alfred. “It is an honor to finally meet you, King Alfred. I hope we can get along as it’s nice to finally have someone my age as a monarch.”

“Of course, friends?” Alfred smiled, extending his hand for Lili to shake.

However, Alfred’s action seemed to aggravate the man beside Lili, who stepped protectively in front of the queen. He  glared daggers at Alfred’s offered hand.

Lili let out a soft sigh, “Oh Basch, there really is no need for that.” She lightly hit her brother’s arm to get him to step aside. “Sorry about that, Basch, my brother can get a little overprotective.”

Alfred let out a chuckle, shaking his head and dropping his hand. “It’s no problem. You gotta protect family, I get that.”

Basch nodded. “You will make a good king.”

“Thanks!” Alfred beamed at Basch, causing the stoic man to smirk.

The yelling behind them had gotten louder, drawing the attention from some of the other occupants in the room.

Basch let out an irritated sigh, “Come, Lili. We had better collect Francis before a brawl starts.” Walking over, he tugged the protesting King of Diamonds away from the red faced Queen of Spades.

Francis managed to pull his arm out of his Jack’s vice grip, giving a dramatic bow to Alfred. “ _Au revoir_ , my dear Alfred. However, I’m sure we'll be seeing each other soon.” With a wink and a theatrical swish of his coat, Francis waded back into the crowd.

“I swear, he gets worse every year.” Arthur mumbled to himself, gently massaging his forehead.

“Don’t worry, Arthur.” Alfred grabbed Arthur’s hand with an affectionate squeeze. “Now that I’m king, I won’t let him bother you anymore.”

Arthur looked down to Alfred with a warm smile. “Ever my gallant hero.” He reached out to tug the ever-present cowlick, still standing under the weight of the crown. “But honestly, I think all the kingdoms have, let’s say, unique monarchs and Francis isn’t the worst.”

“You mean that there are monarchs that are weirder than Francis?” Alfred asked astounded.

Arthur winced. “I didn’t say weird, and I do hope you will never refer to them as such. Some are just a little different, and may take some getting used to.”

Alfred nodded in understanding and with the conversation ending, began to let his gaze wander around the room again. The food still looked delicious, Matthew was now talking with Yao and Francis had already managed to collect a following of young girls. Suddenly, Alfred felt as if the room had dropped several degrees, a light shiver racing through his body. An uncomfortable weight settled on Alfred as he sensed the intense stare from the man emerging from the crowd.

The thick, green coat hid most of his tall body from view; his black boots were oddly silent as he made his way towards Alfred. A thick scarf was wrapped carelessly around the man’s neck, even though he was indoors. Icy, violet eyes stared unwavering at Alfred, freezing the young king to the floor. The man came before Alfred, simply giving an innocent smile.

“King Ivan, it is a pleasure to see you again. How was your travel from Clubs?” Arthur gave a polite smile, though his posture had become tense.

However, Arthur’s questioned went completely unnoticed or ignored. Ivan remained standing before Alfred, simply staring at the now uncomfortable boy.

Arthur cleared his throat, “Ivan?” He tried once more to gain the King of Clubs’ attention.

Still not taking his eyes from Alfred, Ivan spoke, “He is tiny, _da_. Small, and fragile looking. I bet he would be easy to break.”

Alfred gulped, taking a step back behind Arthur and clutched to his queen’s side.

“You have an interesting way of phrasing things, Ivan. It seemed almost threatening.” Arthur put a protective hand on Alfred’s shoulder, while drawing up his posture, giving a hard stare to Ivan. “However, I will overlook your last comment in light of the festivities.”

“Oh,” Ivan’s smile fell, a look of hurt innocence. “It seems I may have overstepped my bounds, and scared the little King. That was not my intention, I apologize, _da_.”

Arthur nudged Alfred, causing the boy to take a tentative step forward. “My name’s Alfred, and it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Of course, little King.” Ivan’s smile was back in place as he stared Alfred down.

Seeing as the conversation had come to a standstill, Arthur spoke up gaining the attention of Ivan. “Did you come alone? I was certain that your queen and jack were supposed to attend, but I have not seen them.”

Ivan nodded with the ever-present, childish smile. “ _Nyet_ , she was quite excited and-” was all Ivan managed to get out before a woman in an elegant green dress collided with Arthur.

Once more, Alfred stood in shock as he watched Arthur get smothered in the woman’s enthusiastic hug. Long, brown hair fell gracefully down her back; her face full of joy, green eyes twinkling in excitement as she squeezed Arthur tightly to her chest.

“Oh, Arthur! It’s so good to see you!” The woman exclaimed.

“Elizabeta, darling, I know you are excited but Arthur does need to breathe,” said the refined looking gentleman that came up beside Ivan.

The gentleman held an air of class around him, being the Jack of Clubs. His brown hair was slicked back; glasses delicately perched on his nose, green suit finely pressed.

Elizabeta blinked a few times, eyes widening. “Oh!” She pulled back the now ruffled Arthur. “So sorry, Arthur.”

Arthur cleared his throat, straightening his clothes. “It’s alright, it was a very warm greeting, Elizabeta. Thank you as well, Roderich.”

“It’s just been too long!” Elizabeta pouted. “It feels as if we haven’t spoken in ages. After you finish all the pleasantries, we absolutely must catch on all the gossip.”

“Wouldn’t miss it.” Arthur chuckled.

“And you have to tell me how you managed to find this adorable, little cutie.” Elizabeta cooed, pinching Alfred’s cheek.

“Careful, Elizabeta. You might make Roderich jealous.” Arthur teased.

The Clubs queen waved her hand dismissively. “Nonsense, Roddie knows I love only him. Besides, with the way Alfred here was staring at you during the coronation, anyone could see that he only has eyes for his queen.”

Arthur blushed a deep red, stuttering out incomplete sentences. Elizabeta giggled at how easy it was to embarrass the Queen of Spades.

Elizabeta leaned down and whispered into Alfred’s ear, “Arthur is a bit stubborn but also a softy at heart. If you really like him, go for it and don’t stop till you win him over.” Standing she gave a mischievous wink.

“Hey!” Arthur glared at the Queen of Clubs. “Don’t you be giving him any weird ideas.”

“Me? Never.” Elizabeta stated innocently. “But I fear we are taking up too much of your time, and I still want to dance with my Roddie. So, it must be goodbye for now.” The queen gave a short bow, took Roderich’s arm and walked away.

“ _Da_ , bye little king.” Ivan gave one last childish smile before leaving after his queen and jack.

Alfred shivered again, under the heavy gaze of the King of Clubs. “Arthur,” Alfred said, once they were standing alone again. “I think I understand now what you meant by all the monarchs being a little different.”

Arthur chuckled. “Yes, Elizabeta can be a bit of a handful but she is a good friend. Roderich can usually keep her in line and Ivan well, he is a bit more difficult to handle.”

Thinking about the imposing king of clubs caused another shiver to run down Alfred’s spine. “Ya, he kinda gives me the creeps.”

Arthur merely hummed in reply. Honestly, he was quite proud with how well Alfred had handled Ivan and the rest of the monarchs so fair. Alfred was only ten, and thrusting a child into such a role as king was a heavy responsibility for anyone to bear. Alfred’s happy attitude and joyful smile had quickly won over many of the nobles and he always seemed to try his hardest. Arthur couldn’t help the warm feeling that came over him as he watched Alfred stare at the food that paraded by.

“Alfred,” Arthur gave an amused smile to the young boy. “I think it would be alright if you took a short break, you could even get some food.”

“Really?!” Alfred’s face lit up with excitement.

“Well, you seem to be on the verge of drooling over every parcel of food that you see, so I must save Spades from suffering such a humiliating scene,” Arthur teased.

Alfred stuck his tongue out at the mocking comment. “I was not drooling.” Turning with a huff, Alfred began to stride towards the dining table but stopped to look at Arthur. “Are you not coming?”

“No, I will stay here and continue to greet our guests,” Arthur said, pushing on when he saw that Alfred was about to protest. “Go on Alfred, enjoy yourself. You deserve it.”

“Ok, thanks Arthur.” Alfred gave a little wave before dashing off.

Arthur rolled his eyes, a small smirk playing at his lips, at the very undignified mad dash Alfred made to the various foods. So lost in the entertainment of his King that he failed to notice the two figures approaching.

Meanwhile, Alfred stood in awed wonder at the numerous dishes before him, stomach grumbling with impatience. With Alfred’s stomach protesting the delay, he leapt into action, quickly grabbing a plate and filling it with all sorts of food. The nobles around him watched in amusement as a cycle was formed, where Alfred would fill his plate before scarfing it down only to fill it again. Every time he tried something delicious, Alfred’s eyes would widen before closing them with a blissful hmmm.

A massive bowl of pasta drew Alfred’s attention, steam rising off of the mound of noodles covered in red sauces. Its tantalizing smell pulled Alfred in, his hand reaching out for the spoon till he accidentally hit another hand. Pulling his hand back in surprise, Alfred turned to apologize. However, the man didn’t seem upset at all, more happy than angry. Warm brown eyes were shining at Alfred, slightly obscured by the man’s brown hair and a stray curl on the left side of his head bouncing. He was dressed in warm reds, pinks and white, with a pink beret adorned with two red hearts, resting on his head.

“Do you like pasta too?” The man asked excitedly, curl bobbing in his excitement.

“Um, yes?” Alfred answered hesitantly.

“Really?!” The man grabbed Alfred’s hand, jumping up and down in delight, his words coming out in a rush. “I love pasta, it’s the best meal around! And since you like pasta and I love pasta then we should be friends, my names Feliciano but you can call me Feli.”

“Feli?” Alfred repeated, receiving a nod from Feliciano. “Well, then you can call me Alfred.”

Feliciano’s eyes went wide. “Oh, Alfred? Like the King of Spades Alfred?”

Alfred eyed the brown haired man curiously. “Uhh, ya.”

“Amazing! I get to be friends with the King of Spades.” Feli cheered.

Alfred couldn’t help but laugh at the cheerfulness of Feliciano. Arthur always said he acted childishly but Alfred was pretty sure that this man was acting more childish than him.

“So what other foods do you like?” Alfred questioned.

Feliciano actually stopped and stood still for a moment, deep in thought. “Well, I like Acini di Pepe, Bucatini, Conchiglie, Farfalle, Fettuccine, Lasagna, Penne, Ravioli, Tortellini, Rocche-”

“Wait, wait.” Alfred interrupted, laughing. “Aren’t those all different types of pasta?”

“Oh, well I guess they are.” Feliciano blinked in surprise then smiled at Alfred. “I just love pasta.”

It took Alfred a few minutes to catch his breath, his laughter subsiding. He gave Feli a sad smile. “As much as I would love to stay here and chat, I should be getting back to Arthur.”

“No worries, I should be finding Ludwig too.” Feli sheepishly rubbed his neck. “He told me not to wander off, and now I can’t find him.

“We can ask Arthur, maybe he has seen Ludwig. That was the correct name, right?” Alfred offered.

Feli brightened. “ _Si_ , that’s a great idea.”

“Come on then.” Alfred took Feliciano’s hand and waded his way through the crowd to get back to Arthur.

Stepping around the last group of people, Alfred could finally see Arthur standing at the head of the room. He seemed to be having a good conversation with two noblemen. The two men were wearing the same reds; pinks and white as Feliciano but in very different styles. The tall, blonde man was wearing a form of a ceremonial military dress, a thick red cape resting on his shoulders. The shorter, dark haired, oriental man wore an elegant, red kimono.

Staring back and forth between Feli and the two others, a thought came to Alfred. “Wait a minute, are you-” Alfred started, only to be interrupted by Feliciano.

“Luddy!” Feli shouted with joy, running to the tall, blonde man. Leaping at Ludwig and clinging to him like a second skin.

Alfred walked towards Arthur, still staring at Feli and Ludwig; the latter desperately trying to pry off his clingy friend. “Arthur, are these guys the monarchs of Hearts?”

“Perfect timing Alfred. Yes, let me introduce you to my good friends.” Arthur said, gesturing to the oriental man first. “This is Kiku, Queen of Hearts. The tall blonde man is Ludwig, King of Hearts and lastly Feliciano, Jack of Hearts.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Alfred bowed respectfully. “Though, I have already been introduced to Feli. We kinda bumped into each other at the pasta bowl.”

“ _Si_ ,” Feliciano said happily, finally releasing Ludwig. “Alfred told me he liked pasta, so we became friends! Isn’t that great?”

“That’s splendid, Feli.” Ludwig smiled softly at Feliciano before turning to Alfred. “I hope he didn’t cause you too much trouble. I know he can be a bit of a handful.”

“Oh, no worries. As Feli said, we’re friends now.” Alfred gave a beaming smile to Ludwig.

Kiku spoke up, voice soft and gentle. “It seems that the relations between Hearts and Spades will continue to strengthen.” His calm gaze landed on Alfred. “Arthur has spoken highly of you and it is not everyday that he will speak praise of another. I believe that if you have managed to impress Arthur then you have earned my respect as well. I look forward to the next few years, hopefully we can speak more with each other.”

Arthur turned red in embarrassment at Kiku’s comment, but Alfred merely grinned. “Of course, I mean we are going to be friends too, so it only makes sense that we will see each other again. You too Ludwig, you seem like a really cool King so maybe you can help me become a cool king to.”

Now it was Ludwig’s turn to flush in embarrassment. “I- yes, thank you. If you need any assistance feel free to ask me any questions you have about your role as king.”

The musical, sound of an orchestra starting up interrupted the group’s conversation. Soon, flowing music echoed around the dining hall and a space opened up on the floor, allowing couples to dance. Pairs of people gracefully waltzed around the open space, dresses swishing with movement.

“Ooooo!” Feli jumped with excitement. “Luddy, Luddy, Ludwig. Please, oh please, dance with me. Come on, dance!” Feli begged with wide eyes.

“Feliciano, we just can’t -” Ludwig started, his stoic façade crumbling.

Arthur interrupted. “It’s alright, go. We can talk more later.”

“Thank you.” Ludwig bowed before being tugged away by Feliciano.

Kiku also left, bidding goodbye to Alfred and Arthur. He trailed after his King and Jack to view what was sure to be an interesting dance. Alfred watched with fascination, the swish of colors and graceful movements of the dancers already on the floor. He had to laugh at Ludwig and Feliciano. Ludwig was much too stiff and lacked the grace the other dancers had, but Feli didn’t care, judging by the happy smile he wore. The dance looked fun in Alfred’s opinion and he wondered what Arthur would look like, being swept along by the music.

Fidgeting slight, Alfred gathered his courage. “Um, Arthur? Could we possibly, I mean, would you, umm…”

“Hmm? What is it Alfred?” Arthur dropped his gaze to Alfred, noting the red flush on the boy’s cheeks.

“Would you like to dance with me?” Alfred managed to get out in a rushed mumble.

Arthur couldn’t stop his smile. “I would love to, Alfred.”

“Really?!” Alfred’s hesitation was gone, replaced with enthusiasm.

“I did say yes. Besides, I heard you practiced really hard in your dance lessons for the coronation; it would be a shame if we didn’t get to show them off.” Arthur said with a wink, offering his hand for his king to take.

Before Alfred realized, both he and Arthur had made their way to where the other nobles were dancing. The music slowly began to change tune as a new melody started to echo through the room. Arthur walked them to the middle of the cleared space, positioning one hand on Alfred’s shoulder while the other grasped his king’s hand. Alfred nervously raised his other hand and gently placed it on Arthur’s waist, giving his queen a timid smile. Just like he practiced, Alfred led Arthur through the steps of the waltz. Alfred only faltered a few times. Arthur merely squeezed his hand to encourage and smoothly put them back in time with the music. It didn’t matter that he messed up a few times or that almost everyone in the room was watching. Alfred was having the time of his life; smile constantly spread across his face as he got to dance with Arthur.

Too soon, in Alfred’s opinion the song ended and Alfred was forced to let go of Arthur’s waist. However, before he was able to ask Arthur for another dance, many Ladies and Lords looking to have a dance with their king approached him. With a start of a new song, instead of bemoaning his loss of Arthur, Alfred gladly accepted the hand of the closest person and once more started to dance around the floor. Faces blurred together, but Alfred did remember having a rather lively dance with Elizabeta and he also managed to find his brother for a song.

Arthur stood off to the side, tenderly watching Alfred and Matthew dance across the hall. A warm feeling blooming in his chest as he caught sight of Alfred’s smile, it seemed the young king was growing on him. A light tap on his shoulder drew his attention away from his dancing king to a serious looking Francis.

“A word Arthur, in private.” Francis whispered in a surprisingly grim tone.

Arthur would have normally yelled at Francis for disrupting his good mood, but a serious Francis was something not to be taken lightly. With a quick nod, Arthur directed the King of Diamonds out to the corridor and into one of the many side rooms. The room’s candles were not lit and night had come, the moon casting eerie shadows around the room.

“This should be private enough, what is it?” Arthur asked his curiosity piqued.

Francis was tense. “I’m not sure if you’re aware, but recently Clubs had closed its ports to Diamonds’ merchant ships.”

Arthur’s anger rose, whispering sharply, “Francis, I swear! You had better not have dragged me away to simply discuss a quarrel you have with Ivan.”

“It's not just Diamonds, Arthur.” Francis patiently stated. “I have discussed with Ludwig as well, Hearts’ merchant ships have also been turned away.”

Arthur paused, thinking. “What?”

Francis nodded solemnly. “Ivan has always turned away a few of my ships, but all? I found it strange and brought it up in conversation with Ludwig who apparently is experiencing similar problems. I was wondering if you had any insight or perhaps we’re dealing with the same issue?”

“There has been a few reports of Spade merchant ship needing to return after a refusal from Clubs’ ports.” Arthur said, deep in thought.

“You as well?!” Francis exclaimed. “By the Divines, what is Ivan thinking? He is shutting his country off from the rest of Cards, doesn’t he understand he needs the goods we provide him on that frozen island.”

Arthur barely paid attention to Francis' outburst, mind working overtime. “No merchant ships, means no outside contact. What is your plan Ivan?” Murmured Arthur.

“Alas, I am sorry. I did not mean to drag your thoughts into troubled waters; Ivan is most likely just being his strange, stubborn self. We should go back to the celebration, I’m certain your Alfred will start missing you.” Francis joked, trying to bring back the joyful attitude Arthur had all night.

“Yes, yes. Of course.” Arthur said distractedly.

Walking back into the dining hall, Arthur was assaulted with bright colors and happy laughter. Alfred was still dancing in the center of the room, a carefree smile gracing his features. Francis gave his arm a reassuring squeeze before walking off into the crowd, heading towards Matthew. However, Arthur could have cared less, mind still elsewhere.

“No merchant ships, means no outside contact, which means no prying eyes.” Arthur puzzled. “Just what are you trying to hide Ivan.”

Arthur shook his head to try and calm down his racing thoughts. Glancing up, Arthur’s green eyes meet with Ivan’s icy cold, purple ones across the room. A smirk crept up the King of Clubs’ face. It was not an innocent, childish smirk that Arthur had seen before but one full of malice, cold and devoid of any light.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, my university finals are coming up at the end of this month.  
> I will try to get to get another chapter out in the next two weeks like I promised, but sadly school is more important. :'( So there might be a longer delay for the next chapter.


	8. Admitting it is always the hardest

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my goodness guys, I am sorry for how long this took me to get the chapter out. My final exams were brutal and starting my summer job really just sucked the life out of me.
> 
> Buuut, now that I'm back home and getting into the groove of writing again, things should be back on track. 
> 
> As usual, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy!

The morning sun rose, steady in its ascent, reaching higher in the sky. The soft, gentle rays of light acting as a wake up call to all those with morning errands. The warm beams stretched far into the palace windows, banishing the darkness from the king’s sleeping chambers. With the first tentative touches of light upon Alfred’s face he scrunched up tighter, burrowing under his blankets, desperate to fight off the morning.

Alfred’s eyes snapped open wide. “Morning!”

The king bolted upright, flinging off his covers. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes he stumbled out of his bed and over to his wardrobe, his movements not quite coordinated yet. Alfred quickly grabbed the first linen shirt and pants he could find, then snatched his leather boots, jumping as he struggled to put on his boots in his haste.

Alfred quickly stopped in front of his mirror, running his hand through his blonde locks trying to tame his bed hair and to, unsuccessfully, flatten his unruly cowlick. Alfred couldn’t help the silly grin that came over him as he stared at his reflection, sticking his tongue out childishly. While six years had passed since his arrival to Zelené and Alfred had aged some, losing baby fat and gaining muscle, he still managed to keep his childish personality. Satisfied with his appearance, to at least not be called an uncivilized git by Arthur, he dashed out of his room and raced down the hallway.

There were a few servants up and about, already starting on their morning duties. Alfred happily waved and greeted everyone he passed, which earned him friendly replies and respectful bows. Spying his destination at the end of the hall, the king picked up his pace and came to a halt outside of a door. With a tentative knock as a courtesy, Alfred eased open the door knowing that the occupant within would not have been awake yet.

Just like he guessed, the room was still dark. The drapes were closed to keep out the light, and the soft sound of snoring came from under the pile of blankets on the bed. With an evil glint in his eye, Alfred took a running leap at the lump in the bed.

“MATTIE!” Alfred yelled, landing on top of his brother.

Matthew let out a groan and pulled the blankets tighter around his body. “Go away.”

Alfred pouted at his brother’s response. “But Mattie, you have to get up and get ready. You do remember what today is?”

“How could I forget,” Matthew grumbled underneath his blankets.

Ignoring his brother’s answer, Alfred shouted in what he thought was Matthew’s face under the blankets. “It’s my birthday!”

“I know!” Matthew shouted back.

“Well then, what are you waiting for? Get up!” Alfred sat back and grabbed the blankets, tearing them away from the bed, revealing a very angry Matthew.

Like Alfred, Matthew had aged as well; losing some of his baby fat but lacking the muscle that Alfred had managed to put on. Matthew was more interested in books rather than sparring with the guards, spending most of his days reading in the library or debating with Yao. Alfred was known as the brash, troublesome, and cheerful king, while Matthew was Alfred’s counterpoint with his soft-spoken and calm personality. However, many do not know the devil that is Matthew Jones in the morning. Only a few select people have the knowledge that Matthew is not a morning person, and if he is woken up before nine o’clock he is an absolute terror. Alfred is the only person foolish enough to tempt the beast in the morning.

“Alfred,” Matthew growled. “It’s too early for this, so GET OUT!”

“Come on, don’t be like that,” Alfred pleaded.

Matthew rolled his eyes and flopped face first onto his pillow. “Bother someone else.”

“But, my birthday” Alfred pouted, giving the biggest puppy eyes he could muster to his brother.

Peeking out of the corner of his eye Matthew mumbled, “You know that look doesn’t work on me.”

“You are no fun at all.” Alfred huffed.

“Ugh,” Matthew rolled over and glared at his brother. “Why don’t you go see Arthur then?”

Alfred smiled softly, a faint blush dusting his cheeks. “Oh, I am going to see Arthur next. In fact, he promised me that we would spend the whole day together.”

Matthew smirked at his brother’s blushing face. “So, are you going to tell Arthur how you feel about him today?”

Blush deepening, Alfred stuttered. “I uh, well I mean - I don’t know”

Matthew couldn’t help but laugh at his brother’s awkward stammering. “By the Divines Alfred, could you be anymore of a lovestruck idiot?”

“Hey!” Alfred exclaimed, hitting his brother in the face with a pillow. “This is serious, I don’t want Arthur to reject me.”

Matthew chucked the pillow back at his brother. “Arthur has to have some idea that you like him. I mean he would have to be an idiot to miss all the longing stares you give him and how you always blush when he smiles at you.”

“I do not!” Alfred defended.

“Yes, you do Al.” Matthew gave an unamused glare at his brother, “and I’m not going to argue with you. So get off my bed and get out of my room, and go find Arthur.”

“Fine, mister meanie pants.” Alfred stuck his tongue out at his brother, hopped off the bed and headed to the door. “I just wanted to say good morning to my brother on my birthday and maybe give him some important news. But no, he always has to be such a drama queen in the morning.”  

“Not falling for it.” Matthew grabbed his blankets and settled back into bed.

“Oh really,” Alfred smirked. “So then you wouldn’t be interested to know that a certain Diamonds’ King might be visiting for today's celebrations.”

“Francis is here?!” Matthew exclaimed. He tried to jumped out of bed but ended up getting wrapt up in his blankets, and face planting on the floor.

Alfred laughed heartily as he watched his brother struggle on the carpet. “And you say I have it bad with my crush.” He muttered to himself before walking out the door.  

With some of Alfred’s energy burned off from the excitement with his brother, the King of Spades strolled at a more reasonable pace down the hallways. With confident strides he made his way down the endless corridors to Arthur’s study, his route memorized from the countless times he had ventured there in the past. While it might be early in the morning, Alfred knew that Arthur would most likely be up already, working away on something. If Alfred didn’t know better, he would have said that Arthur lived in his study.

Coming to a stop in front of the familiar oak door, Alfred raised his hand and gave a tentative knock. The faint ‘come in’ sent a rush of nervous butterflies aflutter in Alfred’s stomach, his hand outstretched for the handle. Stepping into the room, Alfred couldn’t stop the smile that came over him at the sight of Arthur sitting behind his desk. While Alfred had aged some, growing taller and more mature looking, Arthur had remained the same. Alfred let his eyes wander over his queen, taking in the ruffled, blonde hair that brushed against his cute, bushy eyebrows and highlighted his emerald eyes. Alfred’s eyes dropped lower and focused on Arthur’s lips, which were currently being bitten in the most tantalizing way as Arthur concentrated on the document he was working on.

The grandfather clock sitting in the corner of the room chimed out the changing hour, startling Alfred out of his reverie. A blush quickly rose on the king’s face once he realized he had been staring at Arthur’s lips for who knows how long. Alfred quickly shook his head to clear his thoughts. 

Clearing his throat Alfred spoke, “Um, Arthur? Are you busy?”

At the sound of Alfred’s voice Arthur was startled from his deep concentration. His eyes widened and a soft smile graced the queen’s features. “Oh, Alfred your timing couldn’t have been more perfect. I was just about to send one of the servants to go fetch you from your room but it seems that you have beaten me to the punch.”

Giving one last document his signature, Arthur gracefully rose from behind his desk and strode towards Alfred. “I was just about to head out for breakfast in the garden and I was wondering if you would join me. I mean – that is if you wanted to. It's not like you have to, it’s simply more convenient. I-”

“I would love to have breakfast with you.” Alfred interrupted, effectively stopping Arthur’s embarrassed ramblings.

“Oh,” Arthur turned bright red. “Of course, right then. Let us go.” Arthur strode past Alfred and headed out of the study door, ignoring the soft chuckle from his king.

* * *

Numerous flowers were in full bloom, a sweet scent drifting along the summer breeze. The royal Spades’ garden boasting an array of floras, showcasing a palette of colors among the shrubbery. The King and Queen of Spades, underneath of the shade of an old willow tree, were enjoying a late breakfast. An assortment of pastries and fruit were laid out on a wrought iron table; the sound of clinking silverware and teacups interrupted the songs from the birds.

With practiced grace, Arthur lowered his teacup. “So, Alfred. Do you have anything specific you wanted to do for your birthday?”

“Uh,” Alfred looked up from his plate, crumbs and jam were smeared on the corner of his mouth. He quickly forced down his mouthful of food before speaking, “No, not really.”

“Oh?” Arthur tilted his head in question, wearing a confused frown. “And here I thought you would be ecstatic for the jousting and sparring competitions. Or at least excited to try all the food stands. If you really wanted to do something, you should have told me. I would have organized it into the festivities today, I could -”

“No! Stop, please don’t worry Arthur.” Alfred interrupted, reaching across the table to give Arthur’s hand a reassuring squeeze. “I’m sure today is perfect, I mean you did plan it after all. And I am excited to see the jousting and try new foods. But, as much as I appreciate all that you have done for me, you’ve been super busy this week and I haven’t gotten to see you that much. I guess what I really want, is to spend the day with you. As long as we are together, then anything is fine.”

“I- uhm, uh-” Arthur stammered. A deep scarlet blush raced up the queen’s shocked face.

“You did promise me that we could spend the day together. You’re not gonna back out of your promise, right Arthur?” Alfred teased.

“Of course not!” Arthur huffed, his irritation covering his flustered state. “A gentleman always keeps his promise.”

“Great!” Alfred gave Arthur his radiant smile. “Then it’s a date!”

“Date?!” Arthur exclaimed.

However, Alfred was too lost in his excitement to hear Arthur’s outburst. “We can try candied apples together, and watch the jousting together and play the festival games together.”

“Whoa,” Arthur held his hand up to stop Alfred and let out a strained chuckle. “We can do all the activities you wish, and I will go along with you as it is tradition.” Arthur stressed the last word. 

Alfred’s smile dropped. “Tradition?”

“Yes, tradition. The Queen should always be beside their King during any celebration, it sets a good example to the citizens of Spades,” Arthur stated primly.

“Oh, right. Tradition. How could I forget?” Alfred’s mood darkened, all his previous excitement drained away.

A strained atmosphere settled around the table. Arthur’s posture was stiff and his arm movements more jerky as he picked up his teacup. Alfred merely fiddled with his food, sliding pieces of fruit around his plate with a troubled expression. 

“Look, Arthur I need to tell you something.” Alfred spoke suddenly, slamming his fork and causing the table to shake.

Arthur jumped a little at the unexpected outburst, his eyes wide.

Alfred took a deep breath to calm his nerves before continuing, “I – uh. I want you to know how much you mean to me. I’m glad that the Fates chose you as the Queen of Spades and that I got to be your King. You have helped me in so many ways and I don’t think I could thank you enough.” Alfred looked up at Arthur, noticing his shocked expression, and fixed a firm, serious gaze on his Queen. “You are amazing and Arthur I think - I think I lo-”

“Your Majesties, please forgive me for my interruption.” Yao appeared from around the corner of a tall hedge. His face buried in documents and papers as he made his way to the two monarchs of Spades.

“Yao?” Alfred wined.

The Jack merely hummed, stopping in front of Arthur and Alfred, nose still stuck in his documents. “There were just a few more papers that I needed Arthur to look over before he left for the day, and I-” Yao trailed off as he looked up and noticed the flustered state of Arthur and embarrassed fidgeting of Alfred.

“Perhaps this could wait till tomorrow.” Arthur managed to get out with a semblance of dignity, however there was an undercurrent of anger.

“Ah, right. Yes of course. My apologies.” Yao gave a curt bow to the monarchs. “I will leave the documents on your desk to peruse at your leisure, Arthur.” The Jack turned on his heel and quickly retreated from where he came in.

“I am sorry for the interruption. Please, do continue.” Arthur sheepishly said. His gaze was nervous with the tiniest bit of hope in them as he focused back on Alfred.  

“Umm,” Alfred was still beet red and he fidgeted in his chair. His eyes flitted all around the garden before he finally settled on Arthur. “I just wanted to tell you how much I appreciate all that you have done for me.” Alfred finished lamely, his confidence gone. 

“Oh,” Arthur frowned slightly, though it was quickly covered with a neutral face. “As much as I do appreciate all your compliments, this is your special day. It’s your birthday, and we should be celebrating you.”

Arthur then stood and walked towards a package that had been set aside, unnoticed by Alfred. It was a long rectangular box, wrapped in simple brown paper. Picking up the box, Arthur brought it back over to their breakfast table and presented the gift to Alfred.

“With all the excitement this morning, I nearly forgot. I should have presented this to you the moment I saw you, but it’s better late than never.” Arthur gestured for Alfred to accept his gift. “Happy birthday, Alfred.”

Alfred’s eyes were wide, his excitement overpowering his embarrassment from before. “Arthur, you really shouldn’t have. You planned this whole day and you spending time with me is good enough for me.”

“Nonsense.” Arthur waved his hand dismissively. Glad that his gift was picking up Alfred’s mood. “It’s your birthday, so you shall get a gift. However, I’m not sure if you’ll like it.”

Arthur looked unsure as Alfred tore into the paper covering the box. While it was quite endearing watching the King of Spades tear into a gift like a child at Saturnalia, Arthur was nervous that he would disappoint his King. With one last tug of paper, Alfred lifted the lid and gasped in awe. Inside, resting on soft cloth, was the most breathtaking sword that Alfred had laid his eyes upon.

The long sword gleamed in the early morning sun giving off a soft blue shine. The hilt was a simple cross design, with the grip being wrapped in black leather and the cross guards ending with a small, blue gem. The pommel was what drew Alfred’s eye; the metal was skillfully crafted into a blooming rose with its center holding a large sapphire.

“If you don’t like it then I can have it returned.” Arthur worried at Alfred’s silence. “Swords are not really my forte so I had to mostly rely on the blacksmith, but I did ask for the design on the hilt specifically.”

Alfred finally brought his gaze back up to Arthur, giving him a massive smile. “It’s amazing and the rose is perfect. It reminds me of you.”

Alfred leapt up from his chair, giving his sword a few practice swings. The balance was perfect and the weight felt good in his grip. The sword making easy, silver arcs through the air as Alfred showed off some of his mastered techniques.

Gently setting the sword down, Alfred practically jumped over to Arthur in his excitement and wrapped him up in a massive hug.

“Thank you.” Alfred said to Arthur.

Arthur laughed at Alfred’s childish glee and brought his arms up around Alfred, returning the hug. “I’m glad you like it. You can even wear it today when we go out if you want.”

“Yes, I think I will.” Alfred gave one last squeeze before pulling away. “Well, I’m ready to go to the city square if you are?”

“That would probably be for the best.” Arthur gave a smirk to Alfred. “Knowing you, it will take us ages to reach the main festivities with you stopping at all the food stalls.”

“I won’t stop at all of them.” Alfred stuck his tongue out, earning an eye roll for Arthur.

Alfred bounded out of the garden, hardly acting his age. While Arthur chose a more dignified pace, giving off a refined air of a noble. Both made their way to the palace gates. However, Arthur’s slower pace was soon ruined as Alfred ran back to Arthur and grabbed his hand, tugging.

“Come on Artie! It’s going to be me and you for the whole day, and I plan to make this the best birthday ever.” Alfred smiled as he pulled Arthur along.

“It’s Arthur, not Artie.” Arthur mumbled under his breath as he was dragged along.


	9. A birthday like no other, Part I

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that this one is a little on the short side. :S I just can't seem to stop my fingers from typing, and the chapter had gotten a bit too long, so I decided to split it into two parts. And this was this only spot it made sense to have a break.
> 
> But one the good side, the next part will be up much sooner, as it's almost done. YAY! :D
> 
> Feel free to drop a comment or a kudos,  
> And as usual, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy! :D

Bright, colorful banners ran along the streets and houses of Zelené. The air was filled sweet, delicious smells that wafted from the various food stands that lined the roads and pathways. The atmosphere in the Capital was joyful; the celebrations for the King’s birthday were well underway. Families wandered the main market with children pulling their parents along with enthralled faces. Numerous stages had been set up in the center square; jugglers, fire breathers, sword eaters and magicians were only some of the performers that had come to boast their skill. Crowds gathered around the acts, the sound of laughter and clapping coming from each.

Following the main road out of the city lead the citizens to the festivities too large to hold within the city. Colorful tents had been set up on the surrounding grass, each boasting a banner of a local lord or duke. The sound of horses and rumbling hooves came from the jousting field and the clashing of swords drifted from the sparring arena. There were even a few targets set at varying distances for the marksmen to show off their talents.

Back in the main market, the King of Spades was currently running around from stall to stall, a look of pure delight on his face. His sky-blue eyes shining in the midmorning sun and cowlick bobbing in the breeze as he explored the festivities.

“Arthur,” Alfred waved excitedly to Arthur. “Arthur, over here! Hurry, come see!”

“I’m like ten feet away, there’s no need to yell.” Arthur chastised as he rolled his eyes and walked to the stand where Alfred was waiting. However, Arthur’s face held a small smile at Alfred’s childish delight.

Alfred was staring wide-eyed at a sweets stall, practically bouncing in excitement. Tiny, hard sweets were presented on sticks for the patrons of today’s festivals. However, what drew Alfred’s interest was that the sweets were stylized into animal shapes. Hares, birds, cats and dogs were some of the many animals offered as a choice. Alfred watched with rapt attention as the owner of the stall used a hot flame to melt the sugar, pulling and shaping the sweet into another creation.

“Wow!” Alfred pulled his eyes away from the craftsman and focused his bright, blue eyes on Arthur. “I have never seen anything like this! This is so cool!”

Arthur hummed in response, his eyes also gazing over the sugary sweets. “Its seems that diamonds has even managed to make opulent candy.”

“ _ Oui,”  _ The owner looked up from the candy he was working on. “Only ze best goes into  _ mon _ craft, Your Majesties.”

Alfred looked back at the candies, eyes flitting over the various animals. “Oh Artie, I don’t know which one I should pick.”

“Just pick one, it's all the same type of candy.” Arthur huffed.

“But Arthur,” Alfred whined, drawing out Arthur’s name longer than necessary.

“How bout picking two then.” The craftsman supplied. “That way you can give one to your Queen.”

“I really don’t-” Arthur began to protest but was cut off with Alfred’s interjection.

“Yes! That’s perfect!” Alfred then reached out and grabbed two candies.

The first was a small bird in flight, its wings spread wide. The colors were a soft blue, yellow and white. The other candy was a tiny rabbit, completely white and it even had a little tail.

Thrusting out the latter of the candy Alfred said, “Here, this one is for you.”

“A hare?” Arthur raised his bushy eyebrow, but still accepted the candy.

“Yep, cause it’s cute. Just like you.” Alfred reasoned in his choice of candy and gave a wink to the now blushing Arthur.

“Git.” Arthur mumbled to himself.

Alfred laughed at Arthur’s embarrassment and thanked the vendor for the candies. He grabbed his queen’s hand and headed out into the crowds, idly crunching away at his sweet.

This was turning out to be one of the best birthdays Alfred ever had. Arthur had really outdone himself, and Alfred could hardly keep his eyes on one thing at a time. His childish curiosity kept drawing him from one thing to another, trying different foods from the other kingdoms to the splendid street performers. However, what made the day even better for Alfred was the hand currently in his grasp and the person that it belonged to. For the whole day, Alfred would hold the attention of those sparkling, emerald eyes and he was sure not going to waste it.

Noticing a small crowd of children gathering in a clearing off to the side of the market, Alfred pulled Arthur over to get a closer look. A festival game had been set up. It consisted of two wooden poles sticking out from the ground and the children would try to throw rope rings onto the pole.

Arthur took a quick glance at Alfred and noticed his inquisitive gaze. “It’s called Quoits.” He provided helpfully. “The aim is to throw your rings into the pole, and for each ring that catches the stake you get three points. Any ring leaning against the stake or touching it will get you two points. Otherwise, the closest ring gets you 1 point.”

Alfred nodded in understanding. “Sounds easy enough.” Taking his eyes off the game, Alfred gave a wide smile to Arthur. “Let's give it a try!”

“Alfred, it’s a child’s game.” Arthur rebuffed.

“But Artie,” Alfred pouted, giving his signature puppy eyes. “It’s my birthday, and I wanna play this game with you.”

 Arthur could feel his will crumbling under those pleading eyes. With a resigned sigh Arthur broke. “Fine, go gather some rings then.”

“Yay!” Alfred cheered. He quickly scurried away, grabbing two sets of different colored rings.

“Thank you,” Arthur accepted the hoops. He positioned himself at one of the wooden stakes and squared off to the other. “Do you wish to go first or should I?”

“Me first. I gotta show you how it’s done.” Alfred exuded confidence, his chest puffed out.

Arthur merely huffed and rolled his eyes at Alfred’s cocky attitude, which earned him a quick wink from the King of Spades. Alfred then brought his full attention forward, focusing intently on the wooden pole. His tongue slightly protruded from his mouth as he tried to judge the distance. Releasing the first ring, it came up short and leaned against the stake.

“Oh, and here I thought the aim of the game was to get the ring over the stake.” Arthur teased.

Alfred frown at the hoop then seemed to regain his confidence. “That was just a warm up shot. The next three will all be perfect.”

“Really now?” Arthur doubted.

Only one of the next three managed to loop over the stake. The first blue ring went too far, sailing over the pole and landed in the dirt. The second was the perfect shot and the last landed against the stake instead.

“My dear Alfred, I believe you scored a seven and that’s not even close to a perfect score of twelve.” Arthur smirked at the glare Alfred sent him.

“Well, if you think you can do better, then by all means,” Alfred gestured angrily towards the stake.

Arthur chuckled at his King’s irritation. “Watch and learn, Alfred.”

Taking sights, Arthur squared his stance. In quick succession, he released the four rings with the confidence of a master marksman. His years of practicing with his bow seemed to have paid off in judging distances as each of the rings fell onto the stake. The children that had also been playing the game with the other equipment all stop and stared, mouths agape at the Queen of Spades’ perfect score.

Arthur turned to Alfred with a smirk. “And that’s how you win.”

Alfred couldn’t help but look back and forth in disbelief, from the stake to Arthur. “What, how?” Then a thought came to Alfred, who narrowed his eyes in suspicion. “You used magic, didn’t you?”

Arthur rolled his eyes. “Oh please, Alfred you may be better than me at swordsmanship skills but I have had centuries to train myself with a bow. All it takes is an eye of precision.”

Alfred let out a ‘humph’, a little upset at losing to Arthur. His face dropped into a small pout, his fingers idly twining in the chain from Chronos attached to his hip. Alfred wanted to show off for Arthur, proving his abilities and how amazing he was. However, Arthur had managed to beat him, and beat him by a lot, making the game seem effortless.

Noticing that Alfred’s boisterous persona had diminished, Arthur worried his bottom lip between his teeth. It was Alfred’s birthday after all; maybe he should have let Alfred win.

Arthur cursed his own pride and spoke up, hoping to rectify the situation. “Hey, there is still the sparring arena.” He reached out and placed a comforting hand on Alfred’s arm. “Since this game was more to my skills, how about I challenge you to a sparring match.”

With the gentle touch to Alfred’s arm, his blue eyes looked up and met Arthur’s worried, green ones. The gesture was appreciated, and Alfred felt a warm flutter in his chest with how close Arthur was standing. Alfred also understood that his Queen was setting himself up for embarrassment, as Arthur was absolute shit at swordplay.

“Thanks Artie, and I’m sorry for worrying you.” Alfred gave an appreciative smile to Arthur. “I guess I was just a little disappointed in myself for losing. I kinda wanted to impress you.”

“Oh, Alfred.” Arthur returned the smile and let the nickname slide. “You don’t have to do anything to impress me. I already know how great you are.”

At hearing Arthur’s statement, Alfred’s small smile burst wide into a full-blown grin. Quickly grabbing onto Arthur, Alfred pulled him into a tight embrace.

“Not as great as you.” Alfred whispered into Arthur's ear.

Alfred could feel the heat rise up Arthur’s face as a blush raced up the Queen’s neck. Arthur was also struggling to formulate a reply, only managing to splutter nonsense, but settled on returning the hug.

Pulling back, Alfred looked into Arthur’s mesmerizing, green eyes. “Now, as much as I would love to show off my amazing swords skills, I think it would be best if you stayed outside of the arena and watched it.” Alfred’s eyes took on a mischievous glint. “Cause let’s be honest, you suck at using swords.” 

Arthur’s eyes widened, and he huffed indignantly. “I’m not that bad, I’ll have you know.”

Alfred let out a loud laugh. “Arthur, the only thing that you’re worse at is cooking.”

“Hey now, I’m a great cook.” Arthur defended, crossly.

Alfred raised an eyebrow. “Nu-uh. You’re horrible.” Arthur opened his mouth to argue, but Alfred continued on. “Remember when you tried to cook pancakes for Mattie and I? You somehow managed to light the batter on fire, without it even being on the pan.”

“I – uh,” Arthur seemed to deflate. “It was just one time.”

“Awww,” Alfred ruffled Arthur’s hair. “Don’t worry Artie, nobody's perfect.”

Arthur swatted away Alfred’s hand and tried to fix his now ruffled, blonde hair. “Yes, well then maybe it’s a good idea if I sit the sparring out and watch from the stands then.”

A loud, resounding chime rang throughout the city of Zelené, interrupting Arthur and Alfred’s conversation. The large clock tower in the center of the square signaled that it was now three.

“Oh,” Arthur grabbed Alfred’s hand and pulled the King out of the square and down the main road. “We have to hurry, the jousting is about to start and I’m sure you don’t want to miss it.”

“No, let’s hurry!” Alfred picked up his pace and soon was dragging Arthur along, as they both hurried out of the city.


	10. A birthday like no other, Part II

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tada, part II, yay! :D
> 
> And to make up for the shorter chapter before, like I promised, this ones a bit longer. Ok, I lied, more like a lot longer. Whoops :S But I just couldn't stop ;P
> 
> Feel free to drop a comment or a kudos,  
> And as usual, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy! :D

“Artie, did you see how that one knight was knocked off his horse? Or how ‘bout when the guy with the flail broke the other guy’s shield?” Alfred was excitedly bouncing beside Arthur as they left the jousting arena.

“Yes, yes. It was all quite thrilling.” Arthur tried to pacify Alfred’s exuberance.

The jousting event had turned out to be a great addition to the festivities. All of the combatants were skilled in their respective fields, providing a wide variety of weaponry use and dramatic clashes on the field. Arthur had paid more attention to Alfred, however. His king was entertainment in his own right, how his eyes would sparkle in excitement at the first joust. Or how he would gasp at a tense moment as the competitors struggled for dominance over each other.

“I wanna learn how to joust!” Alfred exclaimed.

Arthur stumbled and looked at Alfred with worried eyes. “You want to joust?”

“Ya, it looks so cool and fun.”

“But it’s dangerous.” Arthur fretted. “You could get seriously hurt.”

Alfred rolled his eyes. “That’s why I said I wanted to  _ learn _ .” He explained, as if it was the easiest thing to grasp. “If I practice, then I’ll get so good that I won't get hurt.”

“Well, I still don’t think it’s a good idea.” Arthur said, but once again faltered under Alfred’s puppy eyes. “We’ll discuss it later.”

“Yay, that means it’s a yes!” Alfred cheered.

“I haven’t approved yet!” Arthur retorted.

“But you will.” Alfred teased.

“Git.” Arthur mumbled under his breath. Knowing full well that if Alfred asked again, he was most liking going to say yes.

The two monarchs wander the grassy field that surrounds the Capital, looking at the various stalls set up outside. Alfred got Arthur to try more food knickknacks, while Arthur had managed to find a stall that was selling books and quickly had his nose buried in a tome.

Soon the clashing of metal was heard as Alfred and Arthur had wandered closer to the sparring pit. There were numerous knights walking around, their armours shining in the afternoon sun. The stands looked full, the audience’s attention rapt on the two fighters in the center of the ring. A small stall was set to the side for aspiring fighters to sign up for a duel.

“Hey, Arthur. I’m gonna go over there and sign up for a match.” Alfred pointed to the booth. “You had better cheer for me.”

“Alright.” Arthur nodded. “Then I’ll make sure to get a front row seat.”

Arthur watched as Alfred signed up and was lead to a waiting tent, were the future fighters would be preparing for their match. The Queen of Spades then wove himself through the crowds, looking for a spot to sit that had a decent view of the field.

Making his way down another aisle that had been completely full, Arthur felt a hand clasp his shoulder and direct him down to the centre seating near the front.

“ _ Mon lapin, _ I knew that you would get here eventually.” Came Francis’s voice from beside him. “Matthew and  _ moi  _ have saved you a spot.”

“Francis?!” Arthur asked in surprise, and removed the hand from his shoulder. “Why in the Divines are you here?”

“It’s young Alfred’s birthday, how could I miss such an event.” Francis brought Arthur to two empty seats at the edge of the ring; Matthew was sitting in the next seat over. “Plus, any reason to visit my sweet Matthew is good enough for me.”

“Perverted frog,” Arthur mumbled. “You had better not done anything unsavory to Matthew.”

Matthew snickered at Francis’ shocked expression and Arthur’s angry glare. “Hello, Arthur and no, nothing ‘unsavory’ has happened. I’m making sure that he is on his best behavior.”

Arthur smirked at Francis. “Good.”

“You two are no fun.” Francis pouted as he sat down in his seat.

Ignoring the sulking Diamond’s king, Arthur spoke to Matthew. “I do hope you have been enjoying your day, and I must apologize that I haven’t been able to speak with you in a while.”

Matthew waved off Arthur’s apology. “It’s fine, Arthur. Knowing Alfred he dragged you away the first moment he got.”

“Yes, he was rather excited today.” Arthur smiled. “Though, I have to ask. How do you know I would show up here with Alfred?”

“It’s Alfred, he wouldn’t shut up about participating in the sparring event. It was all I listened to for a week.” Matthew said unimpressed. “I figured you two would come here after the jousting, so Francis and I made sure we at least got good seats.”

“Thank you, Matthew.” Arthur gave an appreciative smile.

“Hey! I’m here too.” Francis protested to being ignored.

“I never asked you to be.” Arthur snapped back.

“Oh, look.” Matthew interrupted the glaring contest between the two monarchs and pointed to the arena. “It’s Alfred!”

Arthur and Francis both turned to see Alfred standing in the center of the field, waving and grinning like an idiot. A leather chest plate had been provided to Alfred for protection, and in his right hand was the long sword that Arthur had gifted to him early that day.

Spotting Arthur in the crowd, Alfred’s face lit up brighter. “ARTIE!” He shouted over the noise of the crowd, waving his arm like a madman.

“Hon, hon,” Francis whispered into Arthur’s ear. “Alfred seems to be absolutely besotted with you.”

Arthur blushed at Alfred’s embarrassing display but also at Francis’ comment. “Shut up, frog.” Arthur pushed the Diamond king away.

Alfred’s opponent was a hulking man, given the same equipment as Alfred. Yet, instead of using a sword, the man was wielding a massive double edged axe. Arthur shifted nervously in his seat, Alfred was clearly at a height and strength disadvantage but he had faith in his king’s abilities.

“Kick his ass, Al!” Came the unusually loud outburst from Matthew. Both Arthur and Francis stared in shock.

Hearing his brother, Alfred gave a quick thumbs up and a wink to Arthur. Taking his stance, he squared off in the center of the arena, sword raised but in a relaxed state waiting for the start of the match.

With a resounding gong from the bell, the match began and both competitors took off. Alfred and his opponent traded some blows, each testing each other’s strengths and weaknesses. It became very clear to Alfred that he couldn’t bash his way to victory as the other man was insanely strong, but all the bulk came at a cost. His opponent was super slow and if Alfred could out maneuver him, then all the strength in the world wouldn’t do any good for a foe you couldn’t hit.

Picking up his pace, Alfred began an onslaught of quick lunges and jabs with his sword, using his weapon’s reach to its fullest. Attempting to take his opponent by surprise, Alfred attacked, bringing his sword in a fast overhead slash. Sparks flew as the two weapons collided; the beast of a man barely parried his blow. Alfred rained strike after strike changing from forehand, backhand, side and overhead cuts. Alfred’s strategy seemed to be working as his foe gave ground under the onslaught of blows, slightly surprised by his speed and strength.

Alfred battled with strokes and counterstrikes, lunging at openings and occasionally being blocked by an axe. Blood was pulsing through Alfred’s body and his sword became a silver blur as it sailed through the air, and Alfred could feel the uneasiness growing in his opponent. In desperation, the hulking man lunged at his chest, Alfred angled his sword causing the blow to glance off to his side. Meeting no resistance the man pitched forward becoming off balance, and with a snake like movement Alfred brought his blade up and rammed it down, stopping just short at slicing his foe’s neck.

The crowd erupted into cheers and applause as the match ended. Matthew was out of his seat, whooping at his brother’s victory. Even Francis was standing, cheering the Spades king on. Arthur released his breath that he hadn’t even realized he was holding; the tension left his shoulders as he watched Alfred celebrate his victory. Arthur couldn’t hold back the smile as he watched Alfred help his opponent off the ground. The King of Spades can be childish and an idiot, but Arthur could not have asked for a more kind and caring king.

Alfred looked back into the crowd, finding Arthur. “I won! I won!” The king did a little victory dance in the center of the arena, earning an eye roll from the queen.

“He is quite skilled.” Francis said to Arthur.

“Of course he is.” Arthur said with pride. “He is the King of Spades.”

With one last wave to the crowd, Alfred strode off the field.

“I’m going to meet up with my brother, are you guys coming?” Matthew asked, already in the aisle.

“Of course.” Arthur replied

At the same time Francis said, “Yes.”

The three made their way to the tent where Alfred was most likely cooling down. After passing through a relatively large group of people, a city guard came rushing up to Arthur, slightly out of breath.

“Your Majesty, sorry for interrupting but I bring you urgent news.” The guard wheezed out.

Slightly startled at the sudden appeared of one of his soldiers, Arthur urged Francis and Matthew to meet up with Alfred and he would join shortly after. Following the guard to a more secluded area, Arthur raised his eyebrow in question.

“What has happened?” Arthur asked, cutting straight to the chase.

“We have found a body sir, it appears to be one of the guards that was on duty today. They were killed by a crossbow. However, all their armor has been removed.”

“A body?” Arthur asked in disbelief.

“Yes, it is our belief that whoever killed the guard is now using the armor as a disguise. But to what end, we do not know.”

“Shite!” Arthur muttered angrily. “I want a full sweep of the city and grounds, check every suspicious person, and question all the guards you see. Scour every nook, cranny and crevice in this city. Search every shadow if you have to, but you will find this imposter!” Arthur ordered.

“Yes, Your Majesty.” The guard saluted before running off.

Once the guard was gone, Arthur rushed towards the tent where Alfred was supposed to be, his nerves were on high alert. Throwing open the flap, Arthur breathed a sigh of relief as he saw Alfred idly chatting with Matthew and Francis.

Noticing Arthur, Alfred dashed over and enveloped his Queen in a hug, lifting him up and spinning. “Artie, did you see how cool I was?”

“Yes I did, now put me down you dolt.” Arthur lightly smacked Alfred’s arm.

Being put back down, Arthur shooed Alfred back to Matthew and gestured Francis to the side.

“ _ Mon lapin,  _ you seemed stressed? Did something happen with the guard?” Francis questioned.

Arthur was looking at Alfred, who was happily chatting away with Matthew. “Yes, there was a guard found dead, armor removed.” He whispered.

Francis gasped. “Oh my. So what are you going to do?”

“I don’t know.” Arthur grumbled. “Something like this wasn’t supposed to happen. The best thing to do would be to return to the palace with Alfred, but…” Arthur trailed off still looking at Alfred.

“But?” Francis prompted.

“It’s just that Alfred has been so happy today, I don’t want to ruin it for him over something like my paranoia.” Arthur stressed, running his hand through his messy blonde hair.

“Well then, simply stay by his side.” Francis reasoned. “That would be the safest place for him. You can protect him, and still enjoy the rest of the day.”

“Yes, I will. I will protect him!” Arthur said resolutely.

“I can also take care of Matthew, and make sure nothing happens to him.” Francis offered.

“Thank you, Francis.” Arthur gave a sincere smile to Francis.

“Anything for my,  _ mon lapin. _ ” Francis winked.

The two older monarchs walked back over to Alfred and Matthew, who were engrossed with their own conversation. Alfred was beet red as if embarrassed and Matthew looked exasperated with his brother.

Arthur cleared his throat, gaining the attention of both boys. “So Alfred, are you ready to get going?”

“Ya,” Alfred said and waved to his brother. “See ya Mattie, bye Francis.”

“Have fun and don’t forget what I told you.” Matthew gave his brother a stern look and whispered in his ear. “Tell Arthur how you feel.”

“Mattie!” Alfred hissed, quickly looking over at a confused Arthur to see if he had heard.

Francis glanced back and forth between the two brothers before he caught on and laughed. He took Matthew’s hand and both walked out of the tent with a wave.

Now left alone in the tent together, a strange atmosphere settled over the two monarchs of Spades. Alfred was still embarrassed over his brother’s action and was nervously shifting from foot to foot, while Arthur on the other hand was anxiously observing his surroundings, shoulders tense.

“So, uhh,” Alfred spoke up, breaking the tense atmosphere. “Did you like my match?”

At the king’s question, Arthur snapped back to attention and noticed the way Alfred was nervously awaiting his answer, like an eager child trying to please a parent. Alfred’s blue, hopeful eyes seemed to plead at Arthur and his cowlick bobbed with the king’s fidgeting.

Arthur gave a warm smile to Alfred. “It was absolutely wonderful. I can see that your training has paid off well, as you looked like a true swordsman out there.”

Alfred blushed under the praise and sheepishly rubbed his neck. “Well, I might have added some extra moves, just to impress you.”

“Then consider me impressed.” Arthur let out a chuckle. “Now, come along Alfred. There is still some time left for the festivities and I’m certain you have worked up an appetite.” The queen offered his hand.

“Ya, I’m starving!” Alfred beamed and grabbed Arthur’s hand.

* * *

The sun was getting closer to the horizon by the time that Alfred and Arthur had nearly finished looking at everything that today’s celebrations had to offer. While the day was getting late, the spirits of the citizens of Zelené were still high, as the main square was still packed with people.

Alfred and Arthur had just finished watching a street performer show off some of his fancy juggling skills. The performer was a hit with the kids and even offered to try to teach some volunteers, and much to Arthur’s horror and amusement, Alfred was one of those eager volunteers. After Alfred nearly hit a few of the audience members in the head and losing a couple of the performer’s juggling balls, Arthur all but dragged the King of Spades away in mortification.

“By the Divines Alfred,” Arthur huffed, still humiliated by Alfred poor attempt at juggling as he dragged the laughing King away. “Can you be anymore foolish?”

“Awww, come on Artie.” Alfred was still laughing. “It’s all in good fun. Besides, the kids seemed to like my juggling skills.”

“You have no juggling skills, they were laughing at your idiotic attempt at juggling.” Arthur grumbled.

“So I take it that I won’t be entertaining any visiting dignitaries with my awesome juggling skills?” Alfred asked in mock seriousness.

“Heavens, no!” Came Arthur’s fast reply.

“But what if it was Francis?” Alfred joked. “I could accidently let a baton slip and hit him on the head.”

Arthur stopped walking, in thought, causing Alfred to nearly run into him.

“Actually…” Arthur pondered the idea.

Alfred shook his head in amusement. “I was kidding, Arthur.”

“Of course.” Arthur said and resumed walking. “But it’s not a bad idea.” He muttered quietly to himself.

With the sun no longer at its highest point, the temperature had become pleasantly warm, with just the hint of a cool breeze. Walking side by side, Alfred couldn’t stop himself from glancing down at his and Arthur’s adjoined hands, a happy smile rising on his face. Spending his birthday with Arthur was more than he could have hoped for and unconsciously Alfred gripped Arthur’s hand tighter in delight. After the failed confession in the morning, Alfred’s confidence had slipped but after today, and with the encouragement of his brother, Alfred was going to tell Arthur how he felt.

Alfred let his mind slip into his daydream, where he would take Arthur to his favorite spot in the garden that was right next to the rose bushes. He would take both of Arthur’s hands in his and gaze into those shining, emerald eyes and full of confidence, Alfred would tell him that he loves him. Alfred could already picture how Arthur would stutter and turn bright red, and maybe, just maybe, Alfred would be able to kiss Arthur.

Arthur, on the other hand, was somewhat distracted in a different way as they walked around the main square. For the past few minutes, an odd feeling had settled in the pit of his stomach and he couldn’t seem to shake the feeling that something was wrong. The queen’s tense shoulders and stiff posture went unnoticed to the daydreaming King.

Then a sharp cry pulled both monarchs’ attention from their distractions. Both Arthur and Alfred quickly found the source to be a little girl who was crying only a few feet away from them. The little girl looked no older than five, in her green dress. Her platinum blonde hair was pulled back into two small pigtails, and her hands were balled up into fists that were desperately trying to stop the flow of tears. On the ground in front of her was a cone of shaved ice, a treat bought from one of the stalls nearby.

Before Arthur realized, Alfred was already making his way towards the crying girl and he scrambled to catch up. In front of the girl, Alfred dropped to his knee, and gently coaxed the girl to calm down.

“Shh,” Alfred soothed. “Hey, it’s alright. There’s no need to cry now.”

The little girl’s tears seemed to slow, and she glanced up through red, rimmed eyes at Alfred.

“That’s it,” Alfred encouraged. “No more tears. A beautiful princess such as yourself shouldn’t cry.”

Arthur felt his heart swell at the endearing scene before him. Here was the King of Spades, kneeling in the dirt to cheer up a little girl; if Arthur was proud of Alfred at the sparring arena, then this was simply the cherry on the cake.

Bending down as well, Arthur spoke in a calm voice. “What’s wrong sweetheart?”

The little girl simply pointed down to the ruined treat on the ground, a hiccupping sob was the only sound she made.

“Fear not, princess,” Alfred stood and did a ridiculously low bow. “For I, the hero will go and get you another treat.”

The little girl smiled a toothy grin and clapped her hands, while Arthur rolled his eyes at Alfred’s theatrics. The King of Spades dashed off to the stand that was about twenty meters away and stood in line to get another treat for the girl.

“Don’t you worry, Alfred will most likely get you the biggest size there is.” Arthur gently said with a warm smile.

However, a thought popped into the Queen’s head and Arthur voiced his concern to the little girl. “Wait, where are your parents? Are you lost as well?”

The girl’s grin only grew, and she let out a small giggle before dashing away into the crowd too fast that Arthur couldn’t stop her. Arthur stood up in confusion, his smile fading fast. That odd feeling came rushing back to Arthur now, and it was ringing all the alarm bells in his head. Arthur quickly scanned the area, looking for anything amiss, and then he focused on Alfred who was still at the stand, his legs carrying him towards his king without even thinking.

Alfred had just managed to get a large bowl of shaved ice for the little girl and happily turned to make his way back. However, he stopped short when he saw Arthur making his way towards him with a worried expression. Alfred noticed that the little girl had also disappeared.

“Artie, what’s wrong? Where did -” Alfred’s question was cut short as he felt an intense pain race through his chest.

Arthur had nearly reached Alfred when he heard the king’s sentence get cut short. Looking at Alfred’s chest caused a wave of horror to rush over Arthur and he all but burst out into a run to close the distance. Sticking out off Alfred’s upper left chest was a crossbow bolt; a red stain had blossomed rapidly on the King’s shirt. 

“NO!” Arthur shouted, shoving the last person out of his way before reaching Alfred. “No, no, no. Please, no.” Came the Queen’s desperate pleas as he clutched Alfred, his hand hovered unsure over the bolt.

“Arthur?” Alfred wheezed and gripped his queen tightly as his legs began to lose their strength.

Breathing had become difficult for Alfred; each breath seemed to rattle his lungs and a thin line of red slowly leaked from the side of his mouth. Arthur shifted his grip and helped ease Alfred to the ground as the King’s strength was fading fast.

“Shhh, hush luv,” Arthur comforted Alfred in a soft voice. He ran a shaky hand through the king’s blonde hair. “It’ll be alright.”

Alfred clutched Arthur’s hand in his. “It hurts, Artie.” 

“I know.” Arthur was becoming more panicked as he watched some of the color drain from Alfred’s face. Straightening up, Arthur yelled to the crowd surrounding them, his voice thick with emotion, “Guards, someone get the guards now!”

There was a bit of scrambling from the citizens around them before multiple people quickly left, in search of the nearest guard. With his orders being followed, Arthur shifted his attention to the wound on Alfred’s chest and the damage caused by the serrated head of the bolt. Too much blood was leaking out, and Arthur knew that if his Alfred was to survive then he had to stop the bleeding. While his magic could do a great many things, it required knowledge in how to use it. Yet, Arthur was not as adept in healing as someone from Hearts would be, but he would have to do for now.

Shifting his position, Arthur gently gripped the bolt. “Alfred, I’m going to try and heal you, but to do that I need to remove the crossbow bolt first.”

Alfred’s pained eyes looked up at Arthur and gave a small nod.

“Alright, on three.” Arthur took a breath to steel his nerves. “One, two, three!”

Arthur gave a strong, quick pull and his gut clenched at the pained scream Alfred let out. However, Arthur couldn’t stop now, with the bolt removed more blood rushed out of the wound. Swiftly covering the injury with his hands, Arthur focused his entire mind on knitting muscle and skin back together. Fueling his own energy into the palms of his hands, they began to glow a bright blue and Alfred let out a whimper at the strange feeling on his skin.

“Hang on, Alfred.” Arthur mummered, his eyes scrunched shut to keep the moisture of his tears at bay. 

Arthur felt like hours had passed, when it was only seconds, before he lifted his hands away. Running his fingers over Alfred’s chest, Arthur felt no wound and breathed a sigh of relief. Yet, while the major damage had been dealt with, Alfred would still need to be looked at and treated. The king had lost a lot of blood, and was pale and weak, his eyes drooping shut.

The guards arrived moments later, and Arthur was quick to order them to carry Alfred to the palace. In a flurry of movement, the king was swept up by two guards and was hastily escorted to the palace. Arthur followed behind, till a flash caught his eye.

Stopping, Arthur turned and managed to spot where the flare had come from. Standing on one of the rooftops was a figure silhouetted by the evening sun, in their hand a crossbow.

“You.” Arthur all but growled.

The Queen of Spades felt anger rise within him, the likes of which, he had never felt before. The air around him began to quiver with energy and small, blue sparks jumped from his fingertips. With a fast flick of his hand, Arthur had sent a bolt of lightning directed at the mysterious figure.

However, the figure merely sidestepped the attack, movement calm and graceful as if they weren’t just attacked with lightning. The attacker gave Arthur a mock bow before jumping of the roof and disappearing from view.

“Guards!” Arthur was fuming. “I want that alley searched. Close the city gates, no one gets in our out without an identification check.”

Arthur heard more ‘Yes, sir’ from the surrounding guards but he couldn’t pull his eyes away from the spot that the attacker had disappeared from. The Queen’s hands were balled into fists so tight that his knuckles were white with strain. The magical air around Arthur slowly depleted as he struggled to control his anger.

* * *

The morning sun shone through an open window in Alfred’s room, the warm rays making his body tingle in delight. A soft pillow cushioned his head and the mattress he was laying on felt like puffy clouds. Alfred was in a state of bliss allowing his body to slowly wake up in this paradise. Stretching out his arm he felt the soft silk sheets slide easily under his hand, then a sharp, hot pain shot through his chest causing his happy paradise to shatter. Alfred scrunched open his eyes to notice his chest wrapped in swaths of bandaged cloth.

Alfred would have probably cracked a joke about his appearance, looking like a mummy, if it didn’t hurt so freakin’ much.

With some effort Alfred pushed himself up, taking in his surroundings, noting that he was in his elegant bedroom with ornate rugs, fancy tapestries, bookshelves and a massive fireplace. The sun was shining in through two glass doors that lead out to a balcony. Yet, there was a new addition to his room in the form of a messy flop of blonde hair and figure hunched over at the edge of his bed. Even sleeping, Alfred could tell that Arthur looked worried and would often shift, mumbling incoherent words.

Reaching out gently, Alfred took the chance and ran his fingers through Arthur’s blonde lock, reveling in their silky touch. Growing bolder, he dropped his hand lower and caressed Arthur’s cheek, going as far as lightly running his thumb over his queen’s lower lip. However, that was the end of Alfred’s exploration as Arthur started to come to and Alfred wanted to coo at the cute morning face Arthur made.

“Good morning, Arthur.” Alfred said, internally rejoicing that he was the first person to speak to Arthur that day.

Yet, Alfred’s voice seemed to set off a trigger in Arthur who quickly bolted awake. It seemed to take a moment for Arthur to registered what he was seeing, his green eyes wide, as he looked Alfred over.

“Artie?” Alfred tilted his head in confusion, not quite sure on what he should do.

Whatever was holding Arthur suddenly broke, and in an instant the Queen of Spades had shot forward, wrapping Alfred in a massive hug, eyes misty and voice thick with emotion, “Thank the Divines! You’ve been unconscious for two days; I thought that – I thought, I,” Arthur struggled to finish. His body shook as a wracking sob escaped.

“Whoa!” Alfred panicked, first at Arthur’s abrupt hug, then as his queen started to cry. Unsure of what he should do, Alfred brought his hand up and rubbed soothing circles on Arthur’s back. “Hey, it's alright, I’m alright.”

“No!” Arthur denied, leaning back out of his hug and glared at Alfred, his face red with angry tears. “You are not alright, you are injured! You were attacked; there was so much blood. That crossbow bolt was millimeters from your heart! You were that close to dying!” Arthur angrily gestured with his hands. “I was that close to losing you.” Arthur mumbled as his anger died out at the hard truth.

“But, you didn’t,” Alfred comforted. “I remember that you were with me through it all, and you saved me with your glowy hand magic stuff.”

Arthur shook his head vehemently, tears now streaming down his cheeks. “But it wasn’t enough,” Came Arthur’s broken reply. “I stopped the bleeding, but it wasn’t enough. You had lost too much blood and were fading; I-I didn’t know what to do. Luckily there was a citizen from Hearts visiting for the festivities that offered her services in healing you. She saved you, not me.”

“That’s not true Artie.” Alfred tried to encourage his queen.

“But it is! It’s all my fault!” Arthur argued. “When the guard was found dead I should have brought you back to the palace immediately. I am a horrible Queen, letting my pride get in the way of my decisions. I thought I could protect you. I-”

Alfred was shocked at his queen’s degrading words and slightly worried. Arthur was too worked up to listen to any reasonable argument, so Alfred did the first thing he could think of to shut Arthur up. Quickly reaching out, Alfred grabbed Arthur’s shirt and pulled him close, then without really thinking, smashed his lips on Arthur’s.

The queen’s rant was cut off with a muffled umf and Arthur went stiff in surprise, his eyes wide in shock. Alfred on the other hand couldn’t have been happier. Arthur’s lips were just as soft as Alfred imagined them to be, and being this close Alfred could smell the unique scent that was Arthur, roses, tea and books.

After a few moments, Alfred pulled back and grasped Arthur’s face in between his hands, gently wiping away tear streaks with his thumbs. “You couldn’t be a better queen, Arthur. And I know that you will always try you’re hardest to protect me.”

Arthur jolted back to reality, bringing up his fingers to touch his lips in wonder, a blush rapidly racing up his neck. Green eyes locked with blue ones and Alfred gave Arthur a warm smile.

Arthur gulped nervously. “I, thank you, Alfred.”

“You don’t have to thank me. The King and the Queen need to support each other. Just like you protect me, I can protect you.” Alfred said.

As much as Alfred enjoyed holding Arthur, his chest was starting to hurt so he released his hold and settled back down in his pillows. Arthur leapt up, helping Alfred organize pillows and straighten blankets.

“Yes,” Arthur said distractedly, fiddling with the edge of a blanket and looked off into the distance. “But it seems that I am going to have to work a lot harder to keep you safe.”

“Huh?” Alfred titled his head at Arthur’s tone.

“Nothing.” Arthur responded distantly. “I’m going to inform your brother that you are awake. He was very worried for you and will be pleased to know you are alright.”

“Oh, ok.” Alfred was somewhat disappointed that Arthur was going to leave, but Mattie would be pissed if no one told him that he was awake.

With a courteous bow and promises that he would return Arthur took his leave. He wandered down the halls, heading towards Matthew’s bedroom but stopped in front of one of the large windows that lined the corridors. Looking out to the city below, Arthur’s face hardened into a deadly glare.

“I promise Alfred, that something like this will never happen again. No one will ever hurt you again. This I swear.” Arthur’s promise echoed down the empty hallway.


	11. Time changes all

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woot, woot! With this chapter, I have officially crossed 100 pages!
> 
> Thanks to all who have stuck with me :) and I promise that I'm not near done yet.
> 
> Feel free to drop a comment or a kudos,  
> And as usual, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy! :D

Four years have passed since the attempt on the King of Spades’ life. The first few months after the attack were tense, with searches for the culprit and reorganization of the security for Spades. However, with no information or clue as to who sent the attacker, the kingdom had once again settled into a more relaxed state.

It was a warm summer's day in Zelené, fluffy, cotton clouds drifted lazily in the bright, blue sky. The streets were busy, filled with the normal stalls haggling their goods and people going about their daily lives. Songbirds flitted over the rooftops, adding a cheery tune to the normal noise of the city.

The palace of Spades stood tall and proud in the afternoon sun, it’s blue marble sparkling under the rays. The royal gardens were bursting with life, filling the air with the sweet scent of flowers. Maids bustled about; hanging out washed sheets to dry in the warm sun and rookie guards practiced their sword skills near the barracks.

Yet as it seemed to be a perfect day in Zelené, it was anything but for the King of Spades.

“What do you mean I can’t leave?” Alfred asked annoyed to the two guards blocking his way.

The King of Spades was currently standing at the gates of the palace that led down to the city below. Finished with his morning studies, Alfred had decided to take a stroll through the Capital as he had been cooped up for the past few days. Since he is the King, and is responsible for the well being of his citizens, Alfred thought that the best way to monitor their welfare was a hands on approach by simply visiting with them. So with that thought, Alfred had quickly made his way to the gates, a bounce in his step and pushing up his glasses, which had started to slip down his nose.

The glasses were a new addition that had occurred in the last four years, along with another massive growth spurt that had him standing nearly a head taller than Arthur, much to Alfred’s delight.

However, Alfred’s eagerness was short lived as he was brought to an abrupt stop, cowlick bobbing at the movement, as two guards blocked his way. The King of Spades’ face slipped from a cheerful smile, to a confused frown, to an angry scowl as two spears connecting in an ‘X’ in front of his face.

“I’m sorry, Your Majesty. But you are not allowed to leave the palace grounds.” Came the stiff reply from one of the guards.

“Not allowed?” Alfred asked incredulous. “I am the King of Spades! If I want to leave the palace, then I can leave the palace!”

“Again, we apologize. We are simply following orders.”

“Well then,” Alfred fumed. “As king, I order you to move.”

“Your command cannot be followed through, our orders come from a higher authority.”

“Higher authority?!” Alfred asked, confused. “Who in Spades has a higher authority than its monarchs? I -”

Alfred’s face twisted into an angry scowl as he connected the dots. His hands clenched into tight fists.

“Arthur.” Alfred growled.

Turning quickly on his heel, Alfred stormed off, his blue coat billowing behind him. With angry, determined strides the King of Spades made his way to the Queen's study. Maids and servants scurried out of the way, knowing from experience that if Alfred was angry, it was best to give him his space, lest they accidentally get run over. Alfred turned a corner and saw the familiar, thick, oak door that designated the queen's study, his strides quickening unconsciously.

Without stopping, Alfred threw the door open and it slammed against the wall with a resounding boom. Slightly out of breathe, Alfred puffed violently, glaring daggers behind his glasses at Arthur who was currently writing at his desk. The dramatic entrance didn't even faze the Queen of Spades. Arthur simple finished the document he was working on and switched to a new paper from the unfinished pile that was looming on the edge of his desk.

"What the hell Arthur!" Alfred shouted in anger.

Arthur didn't even look up at Alfred's outburst. "I believe I taught you proper etiquette, Alfred."

"Etiquette?" Alfred asked, slightly confused. "What does that have to do with anything?! Arthur we need to talk about-"

"It is considered to be proper etiquette to knock." Arthur interrupted, still writing away. "Also, we are indoors so their is no need to yell. When you can come back and behave like a civilized individual, then we can talk."

Alfred was shaking in rage. Instead of leaving, he strode to Arthur's desk and slammed his hands down onto the wood with a sharp crack.

"Don't you dare dismiss me!" Alfred fumed. "And if you wanna talk about proper etiquette, then how bout looking at me when we're talking."

Arthur let out a suffering sigh, giving the paper in front of him his signature before looking up. "You have my full attention."

Alfred fixed Arthur with a hard stare, his blue eyes taking a steely tint. "Do I really? Then let me tell you a funny story. I went to leave the palace today and lo and behold, I was wasn't allowed to leave." His last word came out in a harsh growl.

Arthur raised a bushy eyebrows. "So?"

"So?!" Alfred felt his anger rising again. "The guards are under orders, your orders, to not let me leave. I will not be a prisoner in my own palace!"

Arthur let out another sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Oh please, Alfred. There is no need to be so dramatic. You are hardly a prisoner here."

"I am trapped inside four walls, with someone else holding the key. I'm pretty sure that's the definition of a prisoner." Alfred spat venomously. He shook his head, calming his emotions before continuing in a weary tone. "I just don't understand. I have done all that you have asked of me Arthur. I have finished all my studies, without complaint, even with the increased workload. I put up with your weird overprotectiveness, I always told you when I was going out. Then when you wanted an escort to follow me about, I went along with that as well. But this, this is too far!"

"I am doing this for you. I am doing this to keep you safe." Arthur's voice took on a hard edge. "All ask is that you don't behave like a spoiled brat and do what I say."

Alfred recoiled as if he had been slapped in the face. His blue eyes wide and a flash of hurt passed through their blue depths before hardening into an icy, cold glare.

"I am not a child, I don't want to be coddled! I am twenty, an adult. I can do what I want." Alfred grounded out.

"And I am four hundred and twenty six, your senior and superior, so you will do as I say." Arthur was bristling with irritation.

"See! That's the issue," Alfred jabbed his finger angrily at Arthur. "I'm so sorry that I'll never be as old or mature as you. Cause guess what, every year I age, you do to! And you know what, I'd rather stay my amazing youthful self than be a stodgy old man like you!"

With his little rant done, Alfred turned and stormed out of the room. In his haste to leave, Alfred nearly ran into Yao who was waiting outside of the door with a stack of papers in hand.

"Alfred!" Arthur's cry fell upon deaf ears.

Yao merely stood aside and watched the King of Spades storm down the hallway. Hearing a long, suffering sigh and a thump from the queen's study, Yao poked his head in to see Arthur, face first on his desk. Yao raised his eyebrow in questions before walking in.

"Have a nice chat with His Highness again?" Yao sarcastically ask, flicking his long braid behind his back.

"Oh, you have no idea." Came Arthur's mumbled response. His forehead still pressed into the wooden desk. Giving off another sigh, Arthur straightened out and focused on the Jack. "I don't know what to do. I mean he's supposed to be the king and yet with little tantrums like that, I begin to wonder if he can only act like a child."

Yao gave a noncommittal hum and shifted the papers he was holding. "Well, I have brought Alfred's graded papers and tests you have assigned." Yao presented the stack to Arthur. "He got nearly perfect on all of them."

"Perfect?" Arthur asked surprised.

"Yes," Yao smirked. "If he is a child at least he's a smart one."

"I already knew he was smart. I just," Arthur fiddled with the papers dejectedly.

"Your Majesty, if I may speak freely." Yao asked.

"Always Yao, you do not need permission." Arthur said.

"Well, I do understand what you are trying to achieve by putting all the rules and restrictions on Alfred. I do not think you are going about it in the right way." Yao spoke in his diplomatic tone that he used for dealing with court officials. 

"What would you have me do then? I-" Arthur started frustrated.

Yao held up his hand to cut Arthur off. "Please, let me finish."

"Fine." Arthur slouched down dejectedly.

"I know you care for Alfred, and Alfred cares for you as well. As such, I think it would be best for you to simple talk to the boy. Explain your reasons but also let Alfred explain his side as well. You need to listen to him, His Highness is a free spirited individual, and keeping him locked away will only make him act more recklessly. Both of you need to work out a better solution, a compromise." Yao finished his lecture and fixed Arthur with a serious gaze.

"I don't know," Arthur hesitated. "You have seen how well our talks go. But I will try again, if you think it will help."

Yao have Arthur an encouraging smile. "Yes. I know how much he means to you, and I'm glad that you have opened up to him. Since the time he arrived here thirteen years ago, I have seen you so much happier. I was always a little worried for you and how you would isolate yourself."

"Thank you, Yao." Arthur stood and made his way to the door. "I will go find him now. It's best that I fix this as soon as possible."

Yao watched Arthur close the door behind him, feeling hopeful for the queen. "Good luck."

 

* * *

 

"Stupid, stupid, stupid Arthur!" Alfred mumbled to himself as he stared at the ceiling from his bed, fists pounding on the mattress.

After his rushed exit, Alfred had stormed off to his bedroom. It seemed to be the only sanctuary in the palace, a place where he could do whatever he wanted without anyone breathing down his back. Alfred had also thought of going to Matthew to vent his anger, but his brother had become irritated with his daily rants. So to save Matthew from his outrage, Alfred went to his room and flopped face first onto his pillow, letting out a muffled, frustrated scream.

Alfred closed his eyes and let out a drawn out sigh, releasing all the tension from his body in an attempt to relax and unwind his angry emotions. Keeping his eyes closed, Alfred focused on taking deep, even breaths and cleared his head of any thoughts. With each puff of air released, a piece of his anger slipped away with it.

With one last exhale Alfred sat up feeling marginally better and slowly opened his eyes. However, with one quick glance around his room, it brought his eyes to the sword that Arthur had gifted to him on his sixteenth birthday and a wave of emotion crashed down on Alfred once again.

Happiness, longing, sadness and anger all swirled around the King’s mind. Alfred would always treasure that sword, yet it reminded him how much their relationship had changed over the last four years. The changes were subtle at first, Arthur working later, becoming more distracted. The Queen seemed to be slowly distancing himself from Alfred, even skipping their usual evening meals together. Yet, Arthur had also become extremely overprotective. Rules and studies soon overtook Arthur’s place in Alfred’s life, and instead of friendly conversations, it was always arguments.

Feeling completely overwhelmed as his anger came racing back, Alfred lashed out. Grabbing the closest pillow he could find, he took his frustrations out on the bedpost. Repeatedly bashing the fluffy pillow, with all his might, against the wooden post brought Alfred some satisfaction. Even more so, when there was a rewarding ripping noise as the pillow yielding to the beating and the seam flew open, feathers spewing everywhere. Alfred sat in the middle of his explosion, huffing; a small smile crept up his face as he eyed the destruction.

“Kesese, while it looked fun, I don’t think the pillow deserved such a death.” Came the eerie laugh from behind Alfred.

Eyes wide in surprise, Alfred quickly spun around to face the intruding voice. There was now a mysterious figure sitting in the corner of his room, their face shrouded in shadow. Alfred vaulted over his bed and reached for his sword. A loud hiss sounded as he pulled the blade from its scabbard and stalked back over to the intruder, the sword pointing forward menacingly.

“Who are you? How did you get in here?” Alfred asked, his tone serious and demanding.

“Who I am and how I got here is no concern to you.” The figure spoke, gracefully standing and walking forward. “What is important, Alfred. Is what you want.”

No longer shadowed, Alfred could see the figure clearly. His startling white hair gleamed in the sunlight; ruby red eyes glinted with a devilish light. The man’s clothing was mostly black, in the style of a commoner’s garbs. However, Alfred knew that this man was anything but common as the air in the room felt electric.

Alfred glared at the red eye man. "What I want, is to know who you are, and how you got in here."

"Pffft. Lame, what a total lack of imagination." The stranger scoffed at the king. "Though, I do admit getting to know my awesomeness is pretty tempting."

"What?" Alfred cocked his head in confusion at the strange man's antics.

"Just tell me what you want." The man crept forward, a mischievous smile stretching his face. " And I'll grant you that wish. I could give you an endless supply of candy, or the fighting prowess of a hundred men. Or maybe you want the love and desire of a certain Spades’ Queen."

"Love and desire?" Alfred's curiosity was piqued. He lowered his sword slightly, the stranger seemed less of a threat the more he talked. However, Alfred still kept his distance.

The intruder continued on, as if Alfred hadn't spoken. "No, no. Not that, at least not yet." Another snicker. "There's something else that you want more, something simpler." Their red eyes flashed as they locked with Alfred's. "You want freedom. You need to escape, to leave, to be free to choose your own path."

"Well, that does sound nice." Alfred pondered. "But too bad it's impossible."

"Not impossible." The stranger took a step towards the king. "What if I said I could give you a way out?"

Alfred let out a hearty laugh. "I'd say you're insane, or able to perform miracles, maybe both. Because there's no way Arthur is letting me out of this palace."

"So is that your wish, freedom." The stranger prodded.

"Ya, I wish for freedom." Alfred joked.

"Excellent." The red-eyed man smirked wider, a canine tooth poking out. "Since I couldn't make it to your coronation, consider this a belated gift." The stranger reached out, in his hand a blank card.

Alfred crept forward uncertainly, and took the offered gift. Inspecting the blank card, he flipped it back and forth. It was the size of a playing card, the one side was covered in a fancy design but the other was a white slate.

"It's a card?" Alfred asked skeptically. "Thanks, I guess."

"It's not just a card,  _ Dummkopf _ !" The stranger reprimanded. "You should feel honored to receive such a gift from me. It is invaluable, that there is a magic card. Simply place it on the ground and think of where you want to go, make sure you think clearly, then press your finger to the center. And bam! You're gone."

Alfred eyed the card doubtful. "Look, I'm sure you're great and all, but I have seen Arthur perform magic, and in all my experience I have never seen him do something like you just explained. It's just not possible. Arthur said that there are limitations to magic and transportation is one of them."

The stranger scoffed. "The Queen of Spades may be awesome at magic, but he is not as awesome as me. Arthur has limitations, while I do not. Therefore, something that is impossible for him is mere child's play for me."

Alfred looked back at the card with renewed interest, while he was still uncertain, Alfred had a small burst of childish curiosity and hope that this card could be his way out.

"Oh," The red eyed man spoke up, slightly startling Alfred. "It seems that our time together is going to be cut short."

"What-" Alfred's question was cut short as a sharp knock resounded on his door.

"Alfred are you busy, can I come in?" Came Matthew's muffled voice from outside.

"How do you know that someone was at the door?" Alfred asked amazed.

"Keseses, it's because I'm awesome." The stranger boasted. "Now listen closely, while the card can bring you freedom you must think of the consequences that could come from using it."

Alfred was just about to question the strange man, what he meant, when another round of loud knocks echoed from the door.

"Al, please open up." Matthew said.

Alfred's attention was directed to the door. "Ya, give me one sec." Alfred shouted back to his brother. Turning back to the stranger Alfred said "I'm sorry, I just have to-" However, he trailed off when he noticed that there was no one left in his room.

His bedroom was empty, the soft breeze blowing the curtains was the only moment in his otherwise still room. Alfred scrunched his eyes up in confusion, looking around for any signs of white hair and red eyes. He even went as far as to look out his window at the grounds below, only spying guards and servants bustling about stories below.

"Al!" Matthew shouted impatiently.

Stuffing the card into his coat pocket, Alfred rushed to the door. "Coming, coming." He opened the door distractedly.

Not even looking at his brother, Alfred poked his head out the door and scanned the hallways.

"Did you see anyone leave?" Alfred asked his brother.

"No." Matthew hesitated, taking in his brothers ruffled appearance. "Are you alright?"

"Ya, I'm fine." Alfred dismissed Matthew's concern.

"Alright." Matthew didn't sound convinced, but he let it slide. "Anyways, I was just dropping by to make sure you're alright."

"Why wouldn't I be alright?" Alfred asked sitting back down on his bed.

Matthew rolled his eyes at his brother and sat down beside him. "You had another fight with Arthur, and from the sound of the rumors circulating around, it was a pretty bad one."

"Ya," Alfred slumped, his mood once again slipping as he thought back on what happened. "It really sucked."

"Do you wanna talk about it?" Matthew offered.

"Ugh," Alfred flopped back onto his bed. "No, it just gets me more frustrated."

"Well, then this may or may not be good news for you." Matthew poked his brother in the side to gain his attention. "On my way to talk to you, Arthur stopped me in the hall. He asked me to tell you that he would be waiting in the garden. He wishes to speak to you."

"He's getting you to do his summoning now!" Alfred growled in frustration.

"No," Matthew signed. "I saw him earlier, apparently he has been looking for you since noon. I told him that I mostly knew where you were and I could deliver the message. He seemed really sincere that he wants to talk, Alfred. I think you should give him a chance."

"No." Alfred said firmly. "You know how are talks go, and I'm not up for another argument."

"Alfred." Matthew voice took on a parental tone. "You and Arthur are going to have to sort through whatever issues have built up around the two of you. This is your chance to clear the air; he wanted to talk, so talk. Explain things to him, tell him what you want, but let him also explain his side. You want to prove that you're an adult to him. Then, this is the first step, have an adult discussion. This also might be a good time to broach the subject of your feelings for him. I don't know if you still have a crush on him or what, but I feel that some of your emotions are overpowering you ability to think rationally."

"Matthew." Alfred whined. "I know this won't be a good idea."

"No I have had enough. You are going to the gardens and you are going to talk to Arthur." Matthew said firmly and seeing Alfred opening his mouth to protest, continued, "and so help me, if you refuse I will make your life a living hell."

"Fine." Alfred pouted, giving a halfhearted glare to his brother. "You don't have to be so mean about it."

Matthew gave a comforting smile to Alfred. "Someone has to push you in the right direction. Besides it’s my duty as your brother to look out for you. I'll always be here for you, whether you want me to be or not."

"Ya, ya whatever. So much brotherly love." Alfred stood and made his way to the door. "But thank you." He said sincerely before leaving.  



	12. Go out with a bang

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about being a little bit late :P I'm taking a summer course and the midterm kinda snuck up on me. But here we are with another chapter! Yay! 
> 
> I am also updating from my phone at work, so sorry for any mistakes.
> 
> Feel free to drop a comment or a kudos,  
> And as usual, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy! :D

Arthur was sitting nervously in the garden. He had a table set up at his favourite spot next to the rose bushes, his fingers idly tapping on his teacup. He had hoped that a pot of tea would calm his nerves before his talk with Alfred, but as the minutes ticked by he was starting to doubt that Alfred would even come. The soft fragrance of earl grey and roses mixed pleasantly in the air and birds chirped merrily overhead, ignorant to the queen’s anxious mood below. Staring off into space, Arthur rehearsed what he was going to say, repeating it over and over again in his head. Completely distracted with his own thoughts, Arthur missed the fact the Alfred had entered the garden and was now standing in front of him.

Alfred lifted an eyebrow at Arthur, who was still in his own little world. Using his queen's distraction to his advantage, Alfred took the chance to look Arthur over. His blonde hair was slightly more ruffled since their fight this morning and he was currently worrying his bottom lip in between his teeth. All in all, Arthur was stupidly, infuriatingly attractive, his bushy eyebrows included.

Clearing his throat to catch his Queen's attention, Alfred spoke up. "Arthur."

Startled from his thoughts, Arthur jerked upward causing his knee to hit the table and shake the china.

“Alfred,” Arthur breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm glad you came, I didn't think you would."

The sunlight glinted off of Alfred's glasses, his expression cold. "What do you want, Arthur."

“Please, sit down. Let me pour you a cup of tea.” Arthur brushed off Alfred's harsh tone.

“I didn’t come for tea, besides I hate the stuff.” Alfred turned his nose up at the offered drink. “Matthew said that you wanted to talk, so talk.”

Arthur tensed. “Yes, I do. But can you at least sit down.”

Alfred locked eyes with Arthur, giving him a cold stare before pulling out the chair and sitting rigidly on the seat. The air was charged with a tense atmosphere; Arthur was fidgeting with his teacup, pushing the handle but never grabbing it to take a sip. While Alfred simple stared, his gaze unwavering and unreadable to Arthur.

“I’m sorry.” Arthur said in a rush.

Alfred raised an eyebrow in question. “You’re sorry?”

Arthur’s eyes were filled with sincerity. “Yes, I know I should have said it sooner. But for what it’s worth, I am sorry.”  
  
Alfred scoffed. “Who are you and what have you done with Arthur? For one, I know that the Queen of Spades never apologizes.”  
  
“I am being honest!” Arthur bristled at Alfred’s jab, but took a deep breath to collect his emotions. “It has come to my attention that I may have been a bit overbearing these past few years, and some of my actions have caused you some grief. I know that our relationship has become strained but I was hoping to use our talk today to help mend some of the issues that have occurred.”  
  
“A bit overbearing? Try like a lot.” Alfred teased with a smirked.  
  
“I am trying here. I want to fix this Alfred, please.” Arthur pleaded.  
  
Alfred pretended to ponder his thoughts, yet he knew exactly what he wanted. “Then get rid of those stupid rules you have placed upon me that restrict my access to the city.” The King’s eyes shone with hope and eagerness at Arthur.  
  
“I-” Arthur hesitated, and shifted in his seat. “I can do that, but if you do go I want you to tell me when you will be leaving and for how long. You will also need an escort.”  
  
Alfred’s blue eyes widened in disbelief. “Are you kidding me? Arthur it’s just the city, it’s not like I’m leaving the kingdom.” He shook his head in frustration. “You are being ridiculous, you said you wanted to fix this, but your solution is just as bad.”  
  
“Look, if want to go out into the city, then that is my compromise.” Arthur huffed. “Its either that or you stay in the palace like I originally wanted.”  
  
With Arthur’s flippant comment, Alfred felt his anger rise. “You cannot order me about like I’m one of your guards, Arthur. I refuse to stay trapped here.”  
  
“Ugh,” Arthur tugged his messy, blonde hair in frustration. “I have given you an option, can you at least listen to me for once. You don’t understand what I’m trying to do.”  
  
“Then tell me! Help me understand.” Alfred exclaimed, becoming upset. “Why, why are you doing this?!”  
  
“I cannot lose you!” Arthur let his words burst out, his emotions getting the better of him.  
  
“Lose me?” Alfred asked, confused.  
  
“Four years ago, I almost lost you. I will not let you get hurt again.” Arthur said. “I will not go through that again, I can’t.” He mumbled the last part.  
  
“Wait, you're still hung up about that?” Alfred stared in disbelief. “Arthur that was four years ago, and nothing has happened since.”  
  
“Yes, that is because of my vigilance.” Arthur stated firmly and stubbornly. “There are things that have been set in motion that you couldn’t comprehend, forces that are moving against Spades that you have no clue about.”  
  
“And that’s because you won't tell me.” Alfred seethed in anger. “I am the King of Spades, Arthur. It is my duty to protect the people and this Kingdom and how can I do that if you are keeping me in the dark!?”  
  
“You know nothing on how to rule a kingdom!” Arthur reciprocated Alfred’s anger. At his wit’s end, Arthur let his frustrations out. “You are nothing more than a child that is blissfully ignorant and overly idealistic.”  
  
“SILENCE!” Alfred roared.  
  
With lighting fast speed, Alfred slammed his hands down on the table and vaulted up and out of his chair. In a fit of rage, he swept his arm across the table and heard the satisfying sound of Arthur’s tea set shattering on the ground. Using his height to his advantage now, Alfred leaned over the table and glared at Arthur through his glasses. Icy, blue eyes locked with wide, fearful, green eyes.  
  
“I am your King, Arthur, and you will watch your tongue when speaking.” Alfred’s tone was dead serious. No longer looking the innocent child, but a deadly threat. “I use to think you were the greatest queen and I even loved you. But now, I can’t even stand the sight you.”  
  
Alfred stood up straight, face emotionless as he watched Arthur’s face crumble.  
  
“Alfred.” Arthur managed to choke out. He green eyes were starting to fill tears that were threatening to overflow.  
  
“I wish you were never my queen." Alfred's deadly voice echoed throughout the garden.  
  
With grace and regality, Alfred turned on his heel and, without a backwards glance, left Arthur sitting alone at the table. Not even the soft sob from the Queen of Spades stopped the king.

* * *

  
Alfred was in a flurry of movement, his room a mess. Clothes were thrown about as if a tornado had torn through his room; yet, Alfred couldn't care less. A bag was open on his bed, a couple pairs of shirts and pants stuffed in. Dropping in a set of socks, Alfred quickly scanned the room, looking for anything he missed.  
  
Deeming himself set, Alfred lifted the bag over his shoulder and rushed to the door. However, he stopped short, his hand on the doorknob. His sword sat dejectedly atop his dresser, the rose gem shining in the evening sun.  
  
Alfred restlessly shifted, weighing the decision. "What the heck." He quickly grabbed the sword and strapped it to his side before rushing out the door.  
  
The King of Spades flew through the halls, his intent clear; he needed to get to his brother's room. There were a few concerned glances cast his way, but Alfred rushing through the halls was a common enough occurrence that most of the maids and guards paid little attention to.  
  
Without bothering to knock, Alfred burst through his brother's door, panting and frantic. "Mattie, I gotta go." Alfred puffed out.  
  
The sudden intrusion into his room caused Matthew to jump in his chair; the current book he was reading nearly tumbling out of his hands.  
  
"What?" Matthew asked, taking in his brother’s appearance. “Are you alright? Did something happen?” He got out of the chair and made his way to Alfred.  
  
“I just – I can’t talk about it now.” Alfred was pacing around his brother’s room. “Please, I have to leave and I don’t want to go alone.” His voice was laced with desperation.  
  
“All right, just give me a moment to collect some things.” Matthew was already walking to his closest and pulling out clothes. “What should I bring? How long are we going and where?”  
  
Alfred fiddled with his bag, distractedly. “I don’t know.” His fists tightened on the strap of the bag, his knuckles white. Alfred’s thoughts were running a mile a minute and frustrated tears sprung up. “I just have to get away from this place.”  
  
Matthew’s light touch upon Alfred’s hand eased the strained grip. Matthew, with his own bag strapped on, gave a warm smile to his brother and a comforting squeeze to his brother’s hand. “It’s fine, remember what I said? I would be there for you, for whatever you needed.”  
  
“Thank you.” Alfred returned his brother’s comfort with a shaky smile. “Now come on, we need to get out of here.”  
  
The two brothers rushed through the halls, Alfred leading the way with Matthew huffing behind him. The mad dash out of the palace was a blur for Alfred, figures passed without a second glance, till he found himself standing on the grass near the gates without even realizing he was there. The two guards from before were still on duty and Alfred knew that they would try and stop him again.  
  
“We are going to have to find another way out.” Alfred whispered to Matthew. “Those guards won't let me pass.”  
  
“Ok, ok,” Matthew, pondered. “Let me think.”  
  
Soft, violet eyes scanned the surrounding area looking for a solution. The palace walls were built for protection and security, and were not easily scaled. There was only one gate in and out, which meant that both Matthew and Alfred would have to get the guards to leave or find a way through them. The soft sounds of nickering drew Matthew gaze to the stables and his eyes lit up with and idea.  
  
“I’ve got a plan,” Matthew smirked at his brother. “And I think you’re going to like it.”  
  
Matthew lead the way to the royal stables, were a dozen of horses were held. The fresh scent of straw and the strong odor of horse assaulted Alfred and Matthew’s nose. Matthew stopped in front of a stall that held a beautiful appaloosa; its spotted coat shining.  
  
“How’s my sweet girl?” Matthew gently asked the horse, giving the mare a loving pat on the nose. He received a puff of air into his face as a reply and he laughed, affectionately rubbing behind her ear.  
  
Unlocking his mare’s stall, Matthew turned to his brother with a mischievous glint in his eyes. “How about we race to the forest?”  
  
Alfred lit up in excitement. “Oh, you are so on.”

The King of Spades went to the stall opposite of his brother's, a massive black stallion pawed the ground at his approach. The King's horse was a stunning, midnight black, Arabian that had enough energy to match the king's.  
  
"You ready to crush my brother, boy?" Alfred ruffled his stallion’s mane.  
  
Both Matthew and Alfred made quick work of saddling their horses and soon were both on their mounts. The horses pawed at the ground with anticipation, feeding off of the tense atmosphere.  
  
Alfred looked over to his brother, his gaze anxious. "Once we pass this gate, it's gonna be a mad dash through the city to the forest. Are you up for this?"  
  
"I've got your back, Alfred. You and me together." Matthew gave his brother a smile.  
  
"Alright, let's go!" Alfred shouted, giving his horse a firm kick.  
  
Alfred could feel his horse respond, the muscle tensing in its flanks before springing forward. The wind rushed through his blonde hair as he rode towards the gates, his blue coat flapping behind him. Alfred could hear the echo of a second set of hooves as his brother raced up behind him. The two guards on duty look uncertainly at each other as the two horses charged towards them.  
  
"Out of the way!" Alfred yelled ahead, giving the two soldiers time to move.  
  
"Your Majesty, please stop!" The guards stood warily in the way.  
  
However, Alfred paid no attention to their plea, urging his horse faster. With one last shout to stop, both of the soldiers jumped out of the way as the King of Spades barreled past them. The sound of hooves clacked off of the streets of Zelené as the two young men made a mad dash out of the city. Their movement wasn't impaired as the crowds quickly parted for the two racing horses. No alarms had sounded or guards chased them, and Alfred breathed a sigh of relief as the main gates came into sight. Guards and citizens watched as the King of Spades and his brother rushed out of the city, quickly disappearing into the forest beyond.

* * *

  
In a small, green, clearing Matthew idly watch his and his brother's horse idly graze on the fresh grass. It was rather peaceful in the clearing, with the gentle sound of a nearby stream and the warm evening sun shining. Yet, Alfred seemed to find it anything but peaceful.  
  
The King of Spades was pacing back and forth in the grass, a small groove forming. Matthew could still hear his brother's angry grumbles.  
  
Matthew let out a sigh. "Do you want to talk about it now?"  
  
His brother's question flew right over Alfred's head, who was to absorbed in his own thoughts to hear. His fingers twisted into the chain for Chronos.  
  
"Alfred?" Matthew tried again, slightly louder.  
  
Hearing his name being called, Alfred was ripped from his thoughts. "What?"  
  
Mathew raised an eyebrow. "What's going on?"  
  
"Well the 'talk' I was supposed to have with Arthur was a disaster." Alfred angrily glared a hole into the ground, face scrunched up in disgust. "I will not be told what to do."  
  
"Ok," Matthew hesitated. "So what do you plan to do?"  
  
Alfred began pacing again. "Not a clue. I figured we could ride to the border of Spades then keep going, as far as we wanted."  
  
"You want to leave spades?" Matthew asked concerned.  
  
"Well, ya."  
  
Matthew shifted on the ground uncertainly. "Alfred, you may not like what I'm about to say. But I don't think leaving Spades is the best idea."  
  
"What do you mean?" Alfred asked irritated. "I think it's a great idea. No Spades equals no Arthur."  
  
"That may be true, but you are the King of Spades. You just can't simply leave." Matthew pointed out.  
  
"I never asked to be king!" Alfred yelled. His frustration with the situation boiled over. "I never got a choice when this stupid mark appeared on my back. It was always someone, somewhere telling me what to do and what I was to become. I thought that when I was chosen to be King that I could help Spades, that I could make it better, but apparently not. So you know what, I'm done with being king. I want to go back to the days where I could do what I wanted when I wanted. No rules, pressure or standards. I want..." Alfred trailed off, his mind lighting up with an idea. "Freedom."  
  
"Alfred, I know you didn't ask to be king. But the Fates chose you. Something about you makes you special and," Matthew tried to encourage his brother but stopped when he noticed that Alfred wasn't paying attention to him. "Are you listening?"  
  
"Freedom, Mattie." Alfred whispered.  
  
Alfred dug his hand into his pocket and pulled out the forgotten card that was gifted to him by the stranger.  
  
"Al, what is that? What are you doing?" Matthew asked.  
  
However, Alfred ignored his brother. Instead he gently kneeled down placing the card on the grass. "He said to think of where you want to go." Alfred whispered to himself.  
  
"Al?" Matthew was worried by his brother's strange behavior and started towards him.  
  
Alfred's hand hovered over the card, his mind racing with ideas, places he could go, the hope that he could leave.  
  
"Alfred!?" Matthew reached his brother and grasped his shoulder, hoping to gain his brother's attention.  
  
Alfred couldn't make up his mind, and as his brother touched his shoulder, he settled on one simple statement. "I want to leave Spades." Before he slammed his hand down on the card.  
  
Time seemed to slow down and speed up all at once. There was an odd tingling sensation that ran up Alfred's arm from the hand that was on the card. He also heard his brother gasp behind him. Every nerve in his body felt charged, ready for action, yet he was frozen to the spot. Alfred could feel the energy in the air, swirling and growing in power till it became almost unbearable. Then with a mighty snap, and a blinding white light, it was gone, along with Alfred and Matthew.

* * *

  
Arthur was standing on his balcony that connected to his study. He was staring out to the city below, yet his mind was elsewhere as he thought over Alfred and his conversation. It had been about an hour since his king had made a mad dash out of the city, leaving Arthur to stew in his own thoughts. There was an odd ache in his chest as he replayed Alfred's last words with him over and over. His fingers clenched the railing unconsciously as he felt another wave of emotion hit him. He had failed Alfred again; instead of making things better he has only made it worse.  
  
But could the blame all be put on him? No. Alfred was reckless, childish and immature at times. How could the Fates have picked someone like Alfred, who was so idealistic? After all the years of being the Queen, of running the kingdom practically by himself, why, why did he have to get Alfred as his king. Alfred, with his ridiculous charming smile and stunning blue eyes, with a personally that managed to worm its way past Arthur's defenses.  
  
A drop of water landed on Arthur's hand. "Shit." He mumbled to himself as he desperately rubbed his eyes to stop the flow of tears before they began.  
  
A knock on the door startled Arthur from his thoughts. "Come in." Was his croaky reply.  
  
A guard entered and bowed respectfully behind Arthur. His once immaculate, shining armor was now covered in dust and grime. The man's face looked weary and apologetic.  
  
"Your Majesty, I am sorry to report that we have not yet been able to find the King or his brother." The guard fidgeted. "I have had the soldiers combing the forest outside the city, but there hasn't been any results."  
  
"Nothing?" Arthur mumbled to himself. "Then look again, we must find him. It's too dangerous for him to be wandering about. Double the soldiers looking." He commanded.  
  
"Yes, sir." The guard saluted, but he stayed in the room. "However, where should we search?"  
  
"Everywhere!" Arthur yelled. "Just find him!"  
  
Another salute. "Yes, sir. Right away. I will-"  
  
Yao burst into the room, his face red from exertion. His normally organized facade was in disarray, his braid was coming undone and his robe was bunched near his sash. There was a letter in his hand, the middle scrunched under his tight grip. Yao completely ignored the shocked guard and rushed to Arthur's side.  
  
"Your Majesty, you must read this immediately." Yao rushed out, his breath coming in puffs.  
  
The letter trembled a bit in Yao's outstretched hand.  
  
"Not now." Arthur waved away the letter. "I have more pressing concerns at the moment."  
  
Yao hated to put more on Arthur's plate, especially when he already looked so down trodden. Yao knew that the whole episode with Alfred had hit Arthur hard, the queen looked frazzled with his red rimmed eyes. Even Arthur's regal air had dimmed and crumbled. But the letter was too important to be ignored.  
  
"Arthur, you must read this now." Yao said firmly.  
  
Arthur stared at Yao for a few moments, taking in his serious stare. "Fine give it here."  
  
Just as Arthur was about to take the letter and intense pain rushed through his hand, right where his Spades mark lay. At the same time, a massive bolt of white lightning streaked through the sky and crashed to the ground miles from the city. Then just as fast as the pain came it was gone, along with the blinding light. The air was charged with the lingering effects of magic that made the hairs on the back of Arthur's neck stand on end.  
  
Arthur stated down in horror at his mark, normally there was a constant hum from the Spades symbol. It represented the connection between the Monarchs and their kingdom; when all the Monarchs were present the connection was stronger. But after the flash of lighting, the mark was oddly silent.  
  
Dread pooled in the pit of Arthur's stomach as he stared at his mark in shock. "Gone, he's gone." He managed to mutter out.  
  
Yao frowned, the change with the mark worried him but so did the odd lingering effects of magic that seemed to ooze from the air.  
  
"Arthur, was that you?" Yao asked.  
  
"No," Arthur stuttered out. "It feels too old, ancient. But Yao, my mark..."  
  
"I know I feel it too." Yao pondered. "Do you think it was the Jokers? Could they do something like this?"  
  
"I don't know, but Yao my mark!" Arthur pushed his hand that bore the Spades mark into Yao's face, frantic. "Alfred is gone! I cannot feel his connection anymore!"  
  
Yao gently lowered Arthur's hand and put a comforting hand on the queen’s shoulder. "Calm down, have the guards still search the forest again, especially where the lightning stuck. You must keep a clear head during this time, Arthur."  
  
"Yes, of course." Arthur took a deep breath, yet he couldn't stop the fine tremor that shook his hands.  
  
Arthur nodded to the guard who was still standing at the entrance to the balcony, and dismissed the man. Now alone he focused back to Yao "You wanted me to read that letter." He offered his hand again, trying to regain control over the situation.  
  
However, now Yao faltered. He hesitantly placed the letter on Arthur’s outstretched hand and carefully watched the queen’s face.  
  
Arthur quickly scanned over the paper, gathering that it was a scouting report from one of his agents in Diamonds. Yet, what was odd was the quickly scribbled penmanship, as if the sender couldn’t write the letter fast enough. Skimming his way to the bottom, Arthur gasped, his eyes widened as he stared at the last line. He felt as if he was struggling to stay calm above the swirling whirlpool of anxiety, fear and misery and this letter was the final hit to drag him under.  
  
_‘Clubs’ naval fleet has arrived at Chavaín, Diamonds capital, and has launched their attack. Clubs has declared war against the Kingdoms of Cards.’_  
  
“Yao, prepare the army. We are at war.” Arthur numbly ordered


	13. Somewhere over the rainbow

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my goodness, I am so sorry for how late this is. 
> 
> My summer job sucked the life out of me, then I had eye surgery and couldn't see for a couple of weeks and then it was back to university.   
> But now my crazy life has decided to settle for a bit, so I finally have some time to write! :D
> 
> Feel free to drop a comment or a kudos,  
> And as usual, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy! :D

For a brief moment, Alfred saw his brother’s alarmed face from the corner of his eye before everything was enveloped in a bright, white light. The energy around him felt as if it was torn asunder, pulling him this way and that. The only solid connection Alfred had was the firm grip of Matthew's hand on his arm, as the two seemed to tumble through an endless space.

However, as fast as the whole incident began, it came to a crashing halt, literally. With a resounding crash, Alfred and Matthew landing on top of each other in an undignified, tangled, mess. The bright, blinding, light had disappeared leaving behind an inky darkness.

Alfred let out a groan as he tried to remove his leg from underneath his brother. "You all right, Mattie?"

Matthew gave a pained huff. "No, I think I broke something."

"What?" Alfred asked in concern, struggling a bit harder to check over his brother. "Where? What did you break? A leg or an arm?"

"No, no." Matthew groaned. "I 'landed on something' and broke that. Whatever it is, it's digging into my back, so get off."

"Oh," Alfred finally managed to shift off his brother. "Sorry, sorry."

Matthew shifted, reaching underneath him and pulled out a broken piece of wood that was painted white. "Ow. What the heck did we land on?"

Alfred adjusted his crooked glasses, and took in his surroundings. "Uh, Mattie..." His eyes widened in amazement.

Now that his eyes had adjusted to the new surroundings, Alfred noticed that it wasn't exactly pitch black out. While the sky was dark and cloudy, strange bright lights pierce the darkness. Organized in a straight line, and too close to be stars, the bright lights seemed to be coming from tall, metal poles and did not flicker like a candle. There were houses, bigger and fancier than the common dwellings seen in Spades, each sporting a well-manicured lawn or garden. It was in one such garden that they were currently sitting in; the broken pieces of wood resembled the destroyed structure of an arbor.

"Wow, Mattie are you seeing this?" Alfred couldn't help but look around in wonder.

However, Matthew was less thrilled. "Where are we?" He shifted on the ground nervously and flinched when the sky let out a grumble of thunder.

"I have no idea." Alfred responded, distractedly.

The strange new sights couldn't help but fuel Alfred's curiosity with structures that looked similar to things in Spades yet seemed so different. He ran his hands, which itched to begin exploring, through the perfectly cut grass.

"Alfred!" Matthew hissed, clearly upset with the situation. "What did you do? Where are we?!"

"I don't know." Alfred rolled his eyes in exasperation, choosing to ignore his brother's irritation.

Alfred stood up and brushed off the dirt that had collected on his trousers and royal coat. The fabric was smudged with grass stains and a few tears along the seams, but Alfred could care less. His glasses were a little smudge, but all in all they had survived the strange event. Alfred's hair was a mess, with more than a few strands of hair joining his permanent cowlick. He was about to walk toward the odd light poles when his angry brother's voice stopped him.

"What do you mean, you don't know!" Matthew pushed himself up angrily, his appearance much like his brother. "Didn't you do this, with that card?"

"Oh, the card." Alfred remembered the gift and quickly looked around on the ground. He spied the little white card underneath one of the broken pieces of wood.

Alfred bent down to pick it up and noticed with confusion, as now the card was hardly blank. In an elaborate lacework of inky swirls, a letter j had appeared at the center.

"Huh," Alfred tilted his head. "That's new."

"What? Let me see that stupid thing." Matthew demeaned, snatching the card from his brother's hand.

Matthew gasped slightly, his face a mix of concern and anxiety, as stared at the card.

Fixing his brother with a firm glare, Matthew spoke in a serious tone. "Where did you get this card?"

"Um, some guy gave it to me as a gift." Alfred hesitated, squirming slightly under his brother's glare.

"Who?"

"I don't know, it was a random stranger. He had red eyes and white hair."

"Alfred, you idiot!" Matthew exploded, going up to Alfred and jabbing his finger into his chest. "You accepted a gift from a man with white hair and red eyes! A gift that has a letter J on it! Did you not even pay attention to your history lessens, cause I can bet you a hundred gold pieces that you just accepted the gift of a Joker!"

"A joker?" Alfred raised his eyebrow skeptically. "They're just a myth, Mattie. They don't exist."

"Yes they do!" Matthew hissed backed. "There are records upon records in the history books about the two mischievous entities known as the Jokers. Their pranks and tricks have known to cause great havoc for the kingdoms. So we need to go back to the palace before anything bad can happen, then you're going to burn that card."

Matthew looked ready to rip the card in half so Alfred quickly reached out and snatched the card back. He held it high up and out of his brother's reach. "No, I’m not going back to the palace yet."

"Yes we are!" Matthew shouted back, desperately trying to get the card back.

"No we aren't!"

"Yes!"

"No!"

A bright light suddenly flooded the area the two brothers we in, interrupting their argument. Alfred squinted towards the direction of the new light source; a shadowed silhouette of a person standing in a now opened doorway was all he could make out.

"Now listen here you drunken idiots, you best get off my lawn before I call the cops!" Came a scratchy, female voice from the silhouette.

"Cops?" Alfred questioned quietly to his brother, who only shrugged in response. "Look we are sorry ma'am, we did not mean to intrude on your property." He called out in an apology.

“We will happily leave, however if you would be kind enough could you please point us in the direction of Zelené.” Matthew hesitantly asked.

“Zelené? I haven’t got time to deal with your strange drunken ideas. Just get a cab and go home!” The woman huffed.

“Yes, sorry ma’am. We’ll leave now.” Alfred ushered his brother away from the house and whispered in his ear. “Lets leave before she sees the broken arbor.”  
“Disrespectful youth.” The woman muttered before she slammed the door behind her.

Now Alfred and Matthew stood outside of the white picket fence, which seemed to designate where each property began and ended. Alfred marveled at the flat rock path that ran between the set of houses, an odd yellow line running down the center, thinking how smooth it would be to ride a carriage over it. He went as far to go out and scratch at the yellow and noticed with fascination that the line was painted on, but for what reason he did not know. Matthew however, could have cared less. Absolutely fuming, he stormed towards his brother, the overcast weather mirroring his mood by letting out another rumble of thunder

“Alfred, this is serious. We have no supplies, no food and we have no idea where we are. We need to go home.” Matthew tried to reason with his brother.

Alfred brushed off his brother’s concerns, giving Matthew a charming smile. “Don’t worry, we’ll be fine.” He spread his arms out wide, in enthusiasm. “I mean, aren’t you curious as to what we’ll find here?”

“No!” Matthew cried out in frustration and desperation. “I want to go home!” He punctuated each word with a punch to his brother’s arm.

“Ow!” Alfred grabbed Matthew’s fist on the last punch and held it in a comforting grip. “It’s ok, we are ok.”

Yet, as if to prove Alfred wrong the sky let out a deafening crack and a bright flash of lightning. A soft drizzle soon followed after that seemed to increase with each passing second. Alfred’s clothes quickly became stuck to his body, his royal coat was sopping wet and his hair soon became plastered to his forehead. Alfred sent a sheepish glance towards his brother that was all out glaring at him, Matthew’s appearance similar to his.

“This is all your fault.” Matthew scowled, looking ready to strangle Alfred.

“Hey,” Alfred huffed indignantly, crossing his arms it a childish manner. “It’s not like I planned any of this.”

“But you did cause this!” Matthew accused.

“Well, ya but I-” Alfred was interrupted by another set of blinding lights.

However, they didn’t come from any of the houses that Alfred thought it would; instead, it seemed to be coming down from the flat path. An odd sound of rumbling also accompanied the light that seemed to be moving closer by the second.

Realizing quite quickly that the lights were barreling towards them Matthew shouted, “Al, move!”

Alfred was frozen to the spot, staring wide-eyed, as the lights got closer. Not even his brother’s shout managed to shake him out of his shocked state.

“Al!” Matthew cried, grabbing his brother and all but dragging him out of the way as the lights were nearly upon them.

There was a loud screech as the lights swerved to avoid the two men, a loud horn sounded as a strange metal contraption sped by them. Both Alfred and Matthew stared in fear as the strange object disappeared around a corner.

“What,” Alfred gulped, “what was that?”

“I have no idea.” Came Matthew’s dazed reply.

Both young men were in such a distracted state that they didn’t even notice the house behind them light up once again. Wet footsteps slashed their way towards Alfred and Matthew who were still standing in shock.

It was the angry voice of the women again that seemed to pull them from their stunned states. “Why are you two standing in the middle of the road? Didn’t I tell you two to go home?”

Alfred slowly turned, mind still reeling from the close encounter, but he was able to finally take in the appearance of the woman. She was standing under an umbrella her brown hair up in a messy bun, and one hand tightening her fluffy, pink robe closer to her body. Her face sported a few wrinkles, but it was hard to tell if they were from age or simply her fierce scowl. Alfred thought that she could give Arthur a run for his money with how scary her scowl looked, and he cringed under her glaring brown eyes.

“I- well, um.” Alfred stuttered, desperately trying to formulate a response after his shaky ordeal.

Matthew had collected himself first and cut off his brother’s rambling. “Sorry, we just-” He awkwardly shifted from foot to foot. “Well we don’t know where we are and we have no clue on how to get home.”

The woman raised her eyebrows in skeptical gesture. “Are you serious?”

“Yes, ma’am.” Matthew reply, downheartedly. 

“Mmm,” The woman seemed to ponder to herself for a few seconds before she came to a decision. “Well I just can’t leave you two kids to freeze out there. You two can come in, and we will sort something out.”

“What?” Alfred eyes widened in surprise. “Really?!

Matthew however, quickly jumped on the opportunity to get out of the rain. “Thank you so much ma'am.”

“The name's Barbra, so no more of this ma’am business you hear. It makes me feel too old.” The woman said before heading back to her house.

“Yes ma’am, I mean Barbra.” Alfred quickly stumbled after her to catch up with her fast pace.

Just before they entered the house, Barbra spun around again and fixed both men with a serious gaze. “Just don’t touch or break anything,” she pointed a finger at Alfred, “and don’t even think about stealing anything you hear.”

Alfred’s eyes widened and he raised his hands in mock surrender. “I would never try stealing.”

Still Barbra squinted her eyes in suspicion. “Right. Well, wipe your feet on the mat, I don’t want mud tracked through my house.” She said before walking through the entrance.

After thoroughly wiping their shoes on the little mat outside the door, both Matthew and Alfred couldn’t help the gasp that escaped them when entering the house. The strange lights were attached to the metal poles seemed to be inside as well, effectively brightening the interior of the house. The little hallway they were in sported a few paintings, almost lifelike in Alfred’s opinion, which soon opened up into a decorated living room. Plush couches, a fireplace, oriental rug, expensive wooden table, all of the decoration pointed to Barbra being a noble, but the estate was much too small in comparison to those found in Spades. Alfred wandered closer to the mantle above the fireplace, closely examining more of the detailed paintings; most seemed to be of a boy, which closely resembled Barbra.

“Those are photographs of my son.” Barbra’s voice sound behind Alfred.

“Photographs?” Alfred mumbled.

“Yes.” Barbra said with a fond smile. “He’s gone off to college, though luckily for you he has left some clothes behind, which just might fit you two.”

Matthew shifted uneasily at the edge of the living room. “We can’t possible take your son’s clothes.”

“It’s fine.” Barbra waved off Matthew’s concern. “You two are still soaking wet, and I can’t have you getting a cold.” She shoved a bundle of clothes in both Matthew’s and Alfred’s hands and ushered them through the house towards stairs. “Just go upstairs, and the first door on the left is my son’s room. Change in there then bring your wet clothes down so I can dry them later.”

By the time Alfred and Matthew made it up into the room, Matthew was shivering and Alfred was buzzing with delight. The bedroom was neat and organized: a bed pushed to the wall, bookshelves filled with thick textbooks, a closet and desk that had a weird black box on top. 

As Alfred began to strip, his wet coat dropping heavily to the floor, he could barely contain his excitement. “How amazing is this Mattie? Did you see those paintings?” He asked eagerly. “What did Barbra call them, I think photographs. They looked so real! And those bright lights in the ceiling, how do you think they got candles up there without burning the house down?”

Alfred kept babbling, not minding his brother’s silence. However when he slightly turned and saw that Matthew was still just standing there, staring at the ground, slightly shaking, Alfred’s face dropped into a frown.

“Mattie?” Alfred said concerned.

“Chr-” Matthew stuttered and pointed. “Chronos.”

“What?” Alfred asked, confused. “What about Chronos?”

Alfred looked to where Matthew was pointing and found his pocket watch on the ground, on top of his discarded coat. Bending down with ease, he picked up Chronos and examined the watch. Yet, Alfred couldn’t see anything on it to make his brother worry so much.

“What’s wrong, Matthew.” Alfred asked.

“Its,” Matthew gulped, “it's not ticking. Why isn’t it ticking?”

Alfred’s head shot down to look at the watch again, and was surprised to see that his brother was correct. The soft, rhythmic ticking of Chronos was absent, the minute and hour hand standing still.

“Shit.” Was all Alfred was able to think of at the moment.

“Al, I don’t think we are in Cards anymore.” Matthew whispered in fear.


	14. We need a plan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter has only been partly edited, so please don't mind any mistakes. When I have the time I will go back and change them. 
> 
> Feel free to drop a comment or a kudos,  
> And as usual, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy! :D

Alfred stood frozen and watched the moonlight reflect off of the glass covering of Chronos from the window of the bedroom. Its normal soft ticking was absent and the watch was cold, not giving off its usual warm glow. A small shiver raced down Alfred’s body, drawing him out of his thoughts and to realize how cold he was getting. His wet shirt was sticking to his chest and his pants were bunching up uncomfortably. The surprise of Chronos not working had momentarily caused Alfred to forget the main reason that he and his brother stood in the strange bedroom, the spare change of clothes provided by Barbra sat neglected on the bed. Alfred gave his brother a quick glance and saw him in a similar state except that Matthew was shaking uncontrollably.

“Hey, let’s just get out of our wet clothes first.” Alfred suggested. “Then we can figure out what happened to Chronos.” He tugged off his white shirt and let it drop onto the bedroom floor next to his coat.

However, Matthew just started off as if in a daze. His lavender eyes were unfocused and huge tremors shook his body.

“Mattie?” Alfred reached out in concern.

With the gentle touch from his brother, Matthew seemed to snap back to reality. Fear and anger rapidly clouded his eyes, and he slapped away Alfred’s hand.

“How can you be so calm?!” Matthew shouted at his brother. “Chronos isn’t working! Something is wrong. This isn’t right, we shouldn’t be here, we have to go back!”

Alfred’s eyes widened at his brother’s outburst. “Look just calm down, Mattie.” He tried to pacify his brother.

“Calm down?” Matthew bristled at his brother’s words, his tremors based mostly on anger rather than cold now. “How can I calm down, Alfred? We’re no longer in Cards!”

“But it’s all right!” Alfred argued back.

“No it’s not!” Matthew cried, his anger leaving him in a rush. His body seemed to crumple down upon itself and he slumped to the floor, his back leaning against a dresser. Matthew’s voice came out in a soft whisper, “Everything here is strange, it’s dangerous. Al, I just – I just want to go home.”

Alfred felt his stomach twist into a knot of guilt as he watched tears gather in Matthew’s eyes. “I know you do and I’m sorry that I dragged you into this.” He crouched down in front of his brother and pulled him into a tight hug. “But you know what? I’m glad that you’re here. It will be like when we were younger and would go exploring in the forest together.”

“I think this place is a bit different than the forest, Al.” Matthew grumpily replied his face still buried into his brother’s shoulder.

“It’s just a bigger adventure than.” Alfred brushed off his brother’s reply.

“Alfred-” Matthew started but was interrupted.

“And I really want to do this together, Mattie.” Alfred pulled back to look into his brother’s eyes. “Brothers gotta stick together, remember?”

“That’s not fair Al.” Matthew muttered.

“But you said I could always count on you.” Alfred pleaded, giving his brother his best puppy eyes. “And I promise as soon as I’m ready to go back we can, but for now I need some time away from Spades, and what better place to pick than somewhere out of Cards all together.”

Matthew bit his lip in thought, his resolve disappearing by the second. With a big sigh he said, “You have to promise me that as soon as you’re ok to leave, we head home immediately.”

“I promise.” Alfred said seriously

“Pinkie promise?” Matthew asked.

“Pinkie promise.” Alfred agreed, locking his finger around his brother’s with a firm shake.

* * *

 

Alfred couldn’t stop fidgeting, constantly running his hands over the soft fabric of the supposedly called “hoodie” that he was given. After changing, both Matthew and Alfred headed back downstairs where they were quickly ushered to the living room and told to sit down by Barbra, while she went and put their wet clothes in the dryer. Matthew was still slightly tense, but his demeanor was much calmer since the talk he had with his brother and he seemed to be giving into Alfred’s enthusiasm about exploring this new world. A few minutes later, Barbra came bustling back into the living room carrying a tray with three steaming cups of coffee.

“Figured we could use something to keep us awake, considering its like 3 o’clock in the morning.” Barbra offered two of the mugs to Alfred and Matthew before she sat down on the opposite couch.

“Thanks.” Both of the men said.

Taking a long sip, Alfred couldn’t help the satisfied sigh that escaped his lips. The coffee tasted the same like it did back home, maybe even a little bit better, and this little bit of familiarity brought a smile to his face. His gaze slipped over the rim of his cup and his stomach did an odd flip as an old memory surfaced. With Barbra sitting across from him, her pink, fluffy robe a bit ruffled from her movement and her hair was in slight disarray, most likely from being woken up during the night. Her figure was slightly hunched and showing fatigue, but her eyes were wide-awake holding concern in their brown depths. Alfred couldn’t help but think of the similar scene where he would wake up from a nightmare, as a child and Arthur would do everything in his power to help comfort him. It didn’t matter if it was the middle of the night, Arthur would make them a cup of tea and sit with him until he calmed down, and more often than not, both Arthur and him would end up falling asleep on his bed.

With that memory of Arthur racing through his head, Alfred felt his mood slip a bit. He would admit that he was still mad at Arthur, after all Arthur was the reason that Alfred had felt the need to leave Spades, but he did miss the ability to talk to his grumpy queen. Alfred wondered if Arthur would be just as amazed with this world as he was.

A sharp jab to Alfred’s stomach pulled the king from his thoughts and he glared angrily at his brother who was giving him a pointed look and directed his gaze to Barbra.

The woman was reaching out and offering Alfred a strange black object. “Here.”

“Uh,” Alfred cocked his head in confusion and cautiously took hold of the device. “What is this?”

Barbra scrunched her face up at Alfred’s question. “A phone.”

“Phone?” Alfred parroted back in question.

“Yes, a cellular device in which you can call your parents, friends or whoever to come and collect you.” Barbra huffed irritably. “So you can, you know, go home.”

“I have never used a phone before.” Alfred answered honestly.

“Look, this isn’t a joking matter.” Barbra’s patience was beginning to wear thin. “We need to get you home so call your parents.”

“But I am being serious.” Alfred countered. “I have no idea what a phone is.”

Barbra gave a skeptical look at the two men. “Are you on drugs? Have you been drinking?”

“No.” Alfred answered again.

Sighing, Barbra directed her eyes to Matthew, hoping he would give her a better answer. “Then what weird cosplay event were you at? I assume you were dressed as some anime character.”

“Cosplay? Anime character?” Asked Matthew, just as confused as his brother.

Barbra was barely able to hold back her groan, and rubbed at her forehead in frustration. “Ok, clearly we won’t be getting anywhere with me asking the questions. So why don’t you tell me what happened, and then we can start from there?”

With a quick nod, Alfred leapt into action in explaining the events that had led them to the situation they were at now, with some unnecessary embellishments in his brother’s opinion. Matthew would speak up now and then to give Barbra some more contexts when he thought she would need more clarification, and Barbra sat silently throughout the lengthy story.

“And that sums it about up.” Alfred ended his explanation with a little clap.

“So let me just summarize.” Barbra paused to collect her thoughts. “You live in a place called Cards, where you are the King of Spades, and managed to escape to my world through a magic card gifted to you by some stranger?”

Alfred nodded enthusiastically. “Yep.”

Barbra stood and fixed an angry glare on Alfred. “Get out.”

“Wait, what?” Alfred exclaimed, his eyes wide.

“Either you lied about not doing drugs or you’re insane, and I’m not going to deal with this.”

“Please believe me!” Alfred begged. “I am telling the truth.”

Matthew reached across the coffee table and gently took Barbra’s hands in his own, his lavender eyes full of sincerity. “Everything that we have said to you is true. I know that what we have said probably doesn’t make much sense, but it’s the truth.”

Barbra stuck between Alfred’s begging puppy eyes and Matthew’s honest gaze was currently fighting with an internal struggle. While it would be easier to throw them out, Barbra couldn’t help but feel the sincerity in their words. She remembered why she let them into her home in the first place, after checking her lawn to see if they had left only to find them standing soaking wet and afraid looking at the side of the road. Call it her mother’s instincts, but she couldn’t have left them out there then and the more she thought about it the more she realized that she wasn’t going to throw them out.

“Ok,” Barbra took a deep breath. “Let’s say that I do believe you, what’s your plan now?”

Alfred’s eyes lit up with relief. “Thank you.” Then he slouched. “As for a plan, well we don’t really have one.”

“We most likely will have to just wander around a bit.” Matthew spoke up. “Figure out how this world works and learn how to fit in.”

“So no plan.” Barbra gave the young men an unimpressed look and let out a weary sigh. “Look, I can’t in good conscious just let the two of you amble about. It would be like dropping a kid off in the middle of a busy city and telling them to fend for themselves. You two could get hurt or worse killed, so you lads will be staying with me until you decide to leave.”

Alfred’s and Matthew’s eyes both widened in shock. “We couldn’t possible intrude like that. You have already done some much for us.” Matthew protested.

“Ya,” Alfred said in agreement. “We don’t want to be a bother.”

“Nonsense.” Barbra snapped back. “You two are hardly the bother. Besides, this house could use some more people in it as it’s gotten rather empty with my son off at school and my husband’s passing.”

The brothers shared a look before coming to an agreement and gave a quick nod. “As long as you are alright with this arrangement.” Matthew offered tentatively. “We would love to stay with you.”

“I have already told you that I was fine with this. However, there will be some conditions.” The women said cryptically.

“Conditions?” Alfred asked hesitantly.

“Yes.” Barbra nodded in conformation. “I will not have two free loaders staying in my house therefore, chores.”

Alfred let out a small whine, looking ready to protest before his brother silenced him with a quick jab to his side. “We would be happy to help with anything you need, Barbra.” Matthew agreed for the both of them.

“Excellent.” Barbra said with a smile. She quickly stood and began to clear away the dirtied cups. The fine china made a soft clink as she looked over at the two weary brothers, both who had dark circles under their eyes. “We can figure out the finer details later, cause I think all of us could use a good night's rest.”

“Ya,” Alfred tiredly rubbed his eyes. The excitement of the day finally starting to catch up with him and he could feel his eyes starting to droop. He slowly raised himself off the couch and aided in pulling his brother as well.

“One of you can use my son’s room and there is a spare bedroom just down the hall for the other.” Barbra called out as she left the living room and headed to the kitchen to put the dishes in the sink.

Alfred and Matthew made their way back down the hall and up the stairs to their designated bedrooms. However, both of them stood outside the two doors in the dark hallway seeming hesitant to leave the other. Alfred shifted from foot to foot while Matthew fidgeted with the strings on his hoodie.

“Um, Al?” Matthew spoke quietly.

“Hm.” Alfred replied, squinting in the dark at his brother and noticing how anxious Matthew looked.

“Can I-” Matthew fidgeted some more, his face turned down in embarrassment. “This place is still a little scary and I don’t want to be alone. So can I sleep with you tonight?”

Alfred gave his brother a small smile. “Of course.” He walked the short distance and grabbed his brother’s hand giving it a comforting squeeze. “You have nothing to worry about with me by your side, Mattie.”

Matthew returned his brother’s smile. “Thanks, it’s just until I can get used to this strange world.”

“No problem.” Alfred said as they walking into the spare bedroom.

The spare bedroom had a simple design with heavy wooden dressers pushed up against the wall and a queen size bed taking up most of the space. The curtains were drawn back from the window letting in the soft moon’s rays, highlighting the light blue comforter. Alfred wasted no time in flopping down onto the bed, forging the removal of his clothes and Matthew quickly followed his brother’s example. Soon both were bundle underneath the comforter and relaxing against the soft, fluffiness of the pillows. Just as Alfred was about to drift off he felt his brother reach out in the dark and take his hand again. Matthew’s breath quickly evened out as he drifted off to sleep knowing he was safe with his brother.

Alfred lips twitched into a sleepy smile as he snuggled closer to his brother. “We are going to be alright.”


	15. It's all fun and games...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There might be a few grammar and spelling mistakes, as I am too excited to post this and I am not patient enough to wait for my beta-reader to edit this. Whoops :P
> 
> So tada, a new chapter! 
> 
> Feel free to drop a comment or a kudos,  
> And as usual, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy! :D

Time flew by quickly for Alfred and Matthew as they adapted to their new surroundings. The first few days were a little daunting for the duo with the introductions to all the electrical devices that were common appliances in Barbra’s house. The kitchen now sported a new toaster, due to Alfred’s attack on the old one when the toast popped out and scared him, and a new microwave, attributed to when Matthew accidentally place tinfoil in the old appliance. Barbra also had to explain the concept of indoor plumbing to Alfred, or else her hydro bill would have skyrocketed. He would constantly flush the toilet to try and figure out where the water went and how it got back into the bowl.

Leaving the house was also another daunting task; cars, roads, streetlights, malls and skyscrapers all drew Alfred’s attention. Barbra always questioned the idea of children leashes. However, now she could understand their appeal as on more than one occasion Alfred had wander off, too distracted by his surroundings, when she looked the other way. The introduction of fast food was another new experience; Barbra who had been running late one day had grabbed some burgers from McDonald’s, which soon became Alfred’s new favorite food.

Alfred especial enjoyed T.V. and in its extension video games. Matthew had been the first one to discover the television when he accidently sat on the clicker and remotely turned it on. The sudden noise and flashing lights scared Matthew right over the back of the couch, and the resounding thump as he hit the ground caused both Barbra and Alfred to rush to the living room. It took a few minutes of Barbra pacifying Matthew and getting Alfred to put the T.V. down for her to explain that the little people in the black box where not trapped, but merely projected images used for entertainment. Thus began Alfred’s fascination with the virtual world. Barbra even dug out her son’s old Xbox 360, hooking it up and allowing Alfred to fiddle with it. It was a welcomed relief for the woman as the brother’s attention was easily diverted away from destroying her home.

It had almost been three months since Alfred and Matthew had crashed down on the arbor in the garden. Three months of fun and freedom and the longer Alfred stayed, the more he didn’t want to leave much to his brother’s chagrin. 

It was a late evening, the sounds of animated gunshots blared from the T.V. as Alfred sat on the couch playing Call of Duty III. Matthew, who was sitting on the opposite couch, peered over the top of his book at his brother who was rapidly mashing away on the controls. He had a look of pure concentration as he tried to build up his score streak.

A few shots later and Alfred’s animated character slumped to the ground dead, and Alfred’s eyes widened. “No, no, no!” He exclaimed in anger, throwing his controller down and pointed to the screen. “Did you see that Mattie?! I so shot him first, he should have died!”

Matthew just rolled his eyes at his brother’s outburst, something that was more common than he would have liked to admit. “No I didn’t see, and it’s just a game so who cares.”

Alfred gasped dramatically. “Who cares?! I was one kill away from a Mothership!” He let out an exaggerated sigh and flopped back onto the couch. “Do you know how hard those things are to get?”

“Let me guess, really hard.” Matthew answered the question apathetically, already going back to his own entertainment.

It was a new book Barbra had given him and was one of the few small pleasures he truly enjoyed in this new world. While Barbra’s collection of books was much smaller than the libraries in Spades, this world offered new literature adventures that quickly drew Matthew’s interest.

Alfred pouted at his brother’s lack of interest. “More like super hard.” He mumbled to himself before picking up his controller to respawn into the game.

After a few more matches Barbra had wandered into the living room, her pink fluffy robe bundled tightly around her and her brown hair tied up in a messy bun. She tiredly rubbed at her eyes as she watched Alfred finish up his recent match. She couldn’t help but smile at how excited Alfred could get while playing, often reminding Barbra of her son.

As the words Victory flashed upon the screen, Barbra cleared her throat. “As much as I hate to interrupt your fun boys,” She gave them a sympathetic smile. “I have to get up early for work tomorrow so I have to ask for you to head to bed.”

“Aww,” Alfred let out a long whine, twisting in his chair to give Barbra his best puppy eyes. “Can’t we stay up for a few more hours? I just need a couple more levels to max out my character. I promise to be quiet.”

Barbra crumbled under Alfred’s gaze. “Well-”

Seeing the woman beginning to relent to Alfred’s request, Matthew quickly jumped up and switched the T.V. and console off, ignoring Alfred’s complaining. He then turned to his brother and took a firm stance. “We both know that you and quiet don’t go in the same sentence. I can bet that within 5 minutes of you playing that game you will be yelling about something killing you.”

Alfred opened his mouth to protest but then closed it with a resigned sigh. “Ya, you’re probably right.”

“I’m always right.” Matthew taunted, smugly.

Alfred rolled his eyes and threw the pillow that was beside him at his brother’s face. “Jerk.” He said lightheartedly.

Barbra laughed at the two before bidding them goodnight and leaving the room. Alfred stood and gathered the empty pop cans and empty bags of chips that were left over from his marathon of gaming. He had learned the hard way that Barbra was not a fan of messes. It was after the scolding of his life and Barbra making him clean the entire house himself that he vowed to never leave an empty chip bag out again. Thinking back on that memory, Alfred had to laugh at how much Barbra had reminded him of Arthur and when he would get in trouble for making a mess in Arthur’s study. They had the same scowl and the flush in their face would get more prominent the longer they kept scolding him.

It had been three months since his argument with Arthur. Three months since he had seen those shinnying emerald eyes, that golden soft hair and heard that velvety accented voice. Alfred had started to think of Arthur more often, and with each time a memory or thought surface a strange twinge would twist in his heart. The worst memory was how he left; with all that frustration, anger and yelling, all of it directed at Arthur. Alfred remembered how broken Arthur looked when he said that he never wanted Arthur as his queen. But, it’s not like Alfred wanted to go back to Spades; here he could do what he wanted when he wanted. He was free here, with no rules or restrictions placed upon him and he wanted to stay for as long as possible. 

The more Alfred thought about his feelings, the more conflicted he got. Arthur was one of the reasons he had left in the first place; his overbearing attitude had all but smothered him. Yet, Arthur was also the reason Alfred wanted to go back to see him, hold him and apologies for hurting him.

Alfred let out a groan as entered the kitchen, putting his garbage away; he may have thrown out the chip bags with more force than necessary. “It’s all Arthur’s fault.” He mumbled to himself as he came to his conclusion.

Matthew who had followed his brother into the kitchen to wash his glass turned to his brother after hearing is mumbling. “What did you say?”

“Nothing.” Alfred waved his hand dismissively. His eyes had a grimy feel after staring at the T.V. screen for so long and Alfred could feel the beginnings of a headache starting from all his complicated thoughts. “I’m tired so let’s just head to bed.”

Matthew gave his brother a scrutinizing glance after noting Alfred’s change of mood. “Are you alright?”

“Just peachy.” Alfred gave a tired smile, but Matthew saw how the edges were forced.

After finishing with the clean up, both of the brother’s head towards the stairs. Matthew was in the lead with Alfred trailing slightly behind him and the violet eyed brother reached his bedroom first but paused outside. Matthew’s hand hovered over the handle, as he seemed to debate with himself. Alfred, however wasted no time in throwing open his door, eager to sleep and forget about his thoughts. Yet, Matthew’s soft voice stopped him before he could go further.

“Al?” Matthew had turned to face his brother in the dark corridor, his tone unsure. “I know you said you were tired but could we talk for a sec?”

“Can’t this wait till the morning?” Alfred asked impatiently.

“It can, but I was just wondering,” Matthew hesitated and decided to start over. “I remember you saying that we could go back to Spades when you were ready, and it’s been a while. So I wanted to ask if you have given it any thought? Going back to Spades that is?”

Alfred’s hands tightened into fists, his frustrations rising. “No, I haven’t.” He lied, hoping to speed this conversation up so he could just go to bed.

“Oh,” Matthew blinked surprised at the slightly angry response. “Well, that’s ok. I just,” Matthew paused again trying to think of how to phrase the remainder of his response. “I think it’s time for you to start considering it. I mean three months is a long time and I’m sure some people have started to worry.”

Alfred turned to glare at his brother. “I told you that I would leave when I’m ready and I’m not ready yet and it doesn’t matter if Arthur is worried.”

“Arthur?” Matthew cocked his head in confusion. “I never mentioned Arthur.”

“I- I” Alfred’s eyes widen in shock. Even when arguing with his brother, his mind somehow had found its way back to Arthur. He stood frozen in the doorframe, his mind whirling with his thoughts.

“Alfred?” Matthew tried to prompt his brother to continue.

Alfred gave his head a firm shake, determined to banish his thoughts from his mind. “It’s late and I’m going to bed. Goodnight, Matthew.” He said before quickly going into the bedroom and closing the door on his brother.

Alfred waited in the dark behind his closed door, silently counting the number of breath he took before he heard the telltale sounds of Matthew entering his own room. Hearing the soft click of the other door, Alfred let out a sigh, the tension he had felt slowing slipping away with the thought of sleep. His clothes were thrown haphazardly on the floor, too tired to put them in the laundry hamper as Alfred changed into his pajamas. With his glasses safely placed on the dresser beside the bed, Alfred let himself flop face first onto the bed, which whined under the sudden weight. The cool softness of the pillow added with the how exhausted Alfred’s thoughts had left him, he soon felt his eyelids beginning to droop, and before he realized it, Alfred was asleep in minutes.

* * *

Alfred felt himself waking to an odd sensation. The world was an eerie pitch black with no outside street lights coming through the window. His body felt as if it was made of lead, thick and heavy; every movement he attempted to make was a struggle. Trying to roll to the edge of the bed to grab his glasses, Alfred soon realized that what he was lying on was not soft and comfy but hard and cold. Slowly he ran his hand over the surface and felt the familiar texture of grass. Alfred felt his confusion increase and he struggled to sit up and desperately tried to blink his fuzzy world into focus the best he could.

Yet, without his glasses the best he could make out was the blurry outline of trees and maybe some shrubs. Thinking the unlikely possibility that he could have sleepwalked out of the house, Alfred tried to stand up to see if he could find any familiar sights. However, his body refused to move further and he was currently stuck sitting on the ground. A soft breeze blew through the trees, carrying with it a strange sent. It was pungent, bitter and choking, and Alfred’s eyes jolted wide and he turn towards the scent knowing it as smoke. It was off in the distance that he could see a small spark of light, but it was growing steadily stronger. The longer he watched, the faster it grew and soon he heard the faint sounds of screaming.

Alfred doubled his efforts to move, straining against his own limbs. People were in trouble and he needed to go see if he could help. His limbs however, seemed to be held down by an unseen force and he was unable to move. The soft breeze from before soon increased in strength and all he could hear was the rush of wind past his ears and the force of the gust forced his eyes to close against its whipping sting. Alfred felt as if the wind was trying to drag him somewhere and as fast as the wind had come it vanished, leaving him feeling weightless.

Opening his eyes again, Alfred was shocked to find that he was now wearing his glasses and the sight before him was terrifying. He was standing in the center of a town, its appearance uncannily similar to Barncombe, the small city that was found outside of Zelené. It wasn’t the similarity that was so alarming but the state of the city itself. Numerous of houses where either charred, crumbling husks or destroyed by huge pillars of ice that rose from the ground. Various market stalls were shattered, their merchandise spilling out onto the street. The air with thick with smoke and fear, the sounds of wailing and screaming could be heard from all around him. The loud collapse of a building spurred Alfred out of his shock and he took shaky steps forward, going towards the sound of faint crying.

It was a young boy, and Alfred judged him to be no older than five. His clothes were singed and muddy and the boy’s face was covered in soot and dirt, except for two clear streaks down his face from his tears. The boy’s tiny hands were clutching desperately to a figure lying unmoving on the muddy ground. Alfred slowly approached the boy, afraid to startle him but also afraid to confirm his assumptions. The figure was a young woman who bore a striking resemblance to the child, but her face was too pale and her body too still. Alfred gasped when he saw blood red bloom against her side and discovered his thoughts were right when he realized she wasn’t breathing.

Alfred knelt down slowly in front of the boy, trying to seem as nonthreatening as possible. “It’s not safe here, we have to leave this place.” He said softly to the child, hoping to coax him away from such a tragic scene.

However, the child didn’t even register Alfred’s words and continued to stare helplessly at the woman. Being closer to the boy, Alfred could hear his garbled words mixed in with his choking sobs.

“Please, please get up mommy.” The boy begged in desperation.

Alfred’s heart twisted in pain. “I’m sorry. There is nothing we can do for your mother. She’s gone.”

“No, mommy. Get up.” The child began to cry louder and he buried his face into her chest.

“I’m sorry.” Alfred shifted over to try and comfort the boy. He reached out a hand to touch the child’s shoulder. Yet, Alfred pulled back in shock as his hand passed through the boy.

“What?” Alfred looked at his hand as if didn’t belong to him and tried to touch the boy again only to be met with the same results. “What’s happening?”

A loud roaring sound assaulted Alfred’s ears again and he flinched backwards, hastily covering his ears to try and bloat out the sound. It was the same rush of wind from before. It tugged at his body, almost latching onto him as it pulled him away from the child. Alfred could feel his vision fading again and this time he didn’t try to fight against the unseen force, allowing it to drag him into darkness.

Once more the wind left Alfred in a new area, however this time he could barely make out his surroundings. It was like a thick blanket was pulled over Alfred’s head and the world that he was looking at was dull, grey and blurred.

“Honestly, it’s time to stop this little charade.”

Alfred’s head whipped towards the voice, and it brought to his attention two blurry silhouettes facing off against one another.

“The game was fun at first, but now I tire of it.”

The same voice, thick, heavy and accented. The tone was emotionless and cold that sent familiar shivers down Alfred’s spine. He had heard that voice before.

“You have lost,  _ da _ .”

“Ivan.” Alfred mumbled to himself with realization.

The form of the silhouette shimmered a bit then solidified. Alfred could now clearly see the King of Clubs, and Ivan was just as terrifying as Alfred remembered. He was draped in his signature green coat and thick scarf; his pale hair shifted about his face and his icy, violet eyes stared unwavering at the other shrouded figure. There was a frigid air that wrapped around Ivan, with patches of frost growing from underneath his feet. In his hand was a massive mace, the dark metal glinted menacingly and the sharp edged were covered in blood. Ivan’s face held a childish smile but with one look at his eyes and Alfred could tell that Ivan was anything but innocent.

Ivan’s smile stretched wider. “It’s time for you to give up, Arthur.”

Alfred’s eyes widened as he quickly focused on the other figure, dreading whom he would see. More of his surrounds had begun to clear and Alfred soon realized that he was standing outside of Zelené, with the city towering behind him. All around him he could see evidence of an ongoing battle, but all that Alfred could stare at was the shrouded figure in front of him.

It was a clear, crisp voice that answered, one that Alfred had heard many times. “Go to hell.” Arthur replied spitefully.

Alfred felt his heart clench painfully as he watched Arthur come into focus. His royal blue garments were torn and dirty, and a particularly large gash on his right arm had stained his sleeve a purplish red. Arthur’s unruly, golden hair was plastered to his face by sweat and dirt and a small cut above his right eye was dripping blood down his face. His body was hunched slightly, whether from exhaustion or pain Alfred did not know, but Arthur’s emerald eyes glared back at Ivan with fierce determination.

Alfred was terrified, never had he seen Arthur looking so ragged, torn and hurt. His mind whirled in questions, was Zelené under attack? Why is Ivan here, is he the one responsible? Was Ivan hurting Arthur? His last thought was the most prominent, Arthur was hurt and Alfred was desperate to go help him. However, as much as he struggled to move towards his Queen, his legs were rooted to the spot, just like in the forest, and he was forced to play the bystander.

Alfred let out a frustrated yell, uselessly yanking on his legs to try and get them to move. “Arthur!” He called out, anxiously hoping that Arthur would hear him.

Yet, it was if his words were swept away by the wind and he was left unnoticed by the two monarchs in front of him who continued their stand off.

“Tsk,” Ivan tutted at Arthur, like he was some misbehaving child. “Your defensives have fallen, there is nowhere left for you to retreat to. Surrender.”

“I’d rather die than hand over Zelené to you, you bloody bastard.” Arthur spat out in defiance.

Ivan’s grin turned sinister. “That can easily be arranged.” He took a menacing step forward but seemed to recover his composure and slipped back into his cold persona once more. “However, it doesn’t have to come to that. I’ll give you an option like I gave your other comrade. Surrender now, and I’ll spare your city. Refuse and I will tear it to the ground.”

Arthur held his ground with Ivan’s approach, his emerald eyes blazing with hateful furry. “Zelené will never be yours. I have promised to protect her and I will do so as long as needed.”

Ivan’s arched an eyebrow at Arthur’s assertion and he let out a small chuckle. “Oh, Arthur. Why do you struggle so much? All this pain, all this suffering could have been avoided.” He rested his huge mace on the ground and leaned upon it, the picture of nonchalant. “Or is the reason you struggle so much, because you are waiting for him to return? Your little runaway king?”

Arthur’s body froze up, what little color he had left in his face drained instantly and his confidence seemed to crumble. “Alfred, he – he didn’t run away.”

Ivan humored Arthur by giving an agreeing hum. “Well, if he didn’t run away then tell me where he is? Hmm.”

“I-” Arthur couldn’t seem to form a response. His eyes flickered back and forth frantically as if searching for his answer.

Ivan’s sinister smile returned. “As I thought, he’s gone. He abandoned his duty to Spades, he abandoned his people and best of all he abandoned you. Your child king may have slipped my grasp, but you won’t. I will have Spades with or without having to destroy your little king.”

Ivan lifted his mace up as if it was as light as a feather and gently ran his fingers over the sharp edges of the weapon as he regarded the Queen of Spades. Ivan’s verbal jabs had hit their mark and Arthur was left standing alone, looking despondent. Small, faint tremors racked Arthur’s frame as he stared, unseeingly, at the ground.

“You are out of time and energy, Arthur.” Ivan prodded the Queen, hoping to finish this engagement. “You cannot beat me. Now what is your choice?”

Arthur slowly lifted up his head and Alfred had to hold back a gasp. The Queen of Spades looked defeated, as if he had already resigned himself to his fate. The fiery light in Arthur’s eyes had sputtered out and died, leaving behind a dull, lifeless green.

“No,” Alfred mumbled to himself. “Come on, Arthur. Don’t give up.” He desperately prayed that his feelings would reach Arthur.

Arthur gave Ivan a small smile. “It’s true that I may not be able to defeat you but,” The edges of his smile curling up into a smirk. “I do have enough energy to save Zelené from you.”

The Queen of Spades quickly clasped his hands together, eyes closed in concentration, as he began to recite an interact spell. Alfred watched in amazement, as the landscape around him, as well as Zelené was cast in an ethereal blue light. Alfred could feel the rush of energy surge past him, the center of it coming from Arthur. It was so much energy, and the more Alfred thought, the more he realized that it was too much energy and he felt his stomach clench in dread, his attention going back to Arthur.

Sweat was dripping from Arthur’s face; his body was trembling in exhaustion, yet his pale lips continued to recite the foreign words in soft tones. The ethereal light that surrounded the landscape was slowly creeping its way up Arthur’s body but the caster paid no attention to it. Alfred could feel that something was wrong and he redouble his efforts, thrashing, to get to Arthur, desperate to stop whatever was going on.

Ivan also felt the strange energy as Arthur continued to chant. At first he was momentarily distracted by the strange light, but as he realized what was occurring he surged towards Arthur. He had a vicious snarl on his face and his mace was raised to strike.

“NO!” Alfred cried as he watched Ivan approach Arthur, who still hadn’t stopped chanting. Alfred could feel tears beginning to stream down his face as he was forced to passively observe.

It was like time had slowed down for the inevitable strike, Ivan’s mace sharp and dangerous, baring down on Arthur’s small and delicate frame. The luminous light had almost completely covered the Queen of Spades, only a few tufts of blonde hair remained untouched. Then Arthur uttered the last words and opened his eyes. His once shining emeralds were now a deep sapphire blue and lit with the same eerie light that was surrounding everything. Alfred had a hard time watching, as the light continued to grow brighter and soon it was enough to blot out everything from view. 


	16. It's time to make up your mind

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look who's finally managed to finish this chapter, me! Yay
> 
> I am so sorry for how long this took me, and I have no excuses :'(
> 
> This one was a struggle for me to write and I may have gotten a bit distracted with a new anime, its Yuri on Ice and if you haven't seen it I would highly recommend watching it.
> 
> This is also unbeta'd, so sorry for any mistakes
> 
> Feel free to drop a comment or a kudos,  
> And as usual, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy! :D

The blinding light was fierce and piercing, but Alfred did not care as he desperately threw himself towards where he last saw Arthur and Ivan standing.

“Arthur!” Alfred shouted, voice hoarse and wrought with emotion, and with one last surge of strength he felt the invisible bindings give way. 

However, instead of rushing to Arthur’s aid, Alfred felt his face collide with a carpeted floor and his legs were ensnared among bed sheets. The blue, blinding, light that had stung his eyes was now replaced with the dark setting of Barbra’s son’s bedroom. Alfred blinked in confusion at his surrounds and took deep, shaky, breaths to try to calm down his racing heart and trembling limbs.

“It was just a nightmare.” He murmured to himself, his hand placed over his heart and he could feel the rapid, beating rhythm in his chest.

Alfred was too shocked to move, and he remained unmoving on the carpeted floor, his butt going numb from how long he sat there. It took a while, but eventually Alfred managed to get his breathing and heart rate under control, however the dreaded feeling in his gut refused to leave. Alfred slowly managed to raise himself from the ground, his joints protesting movement, and he distractedly wandered towards the room’s dresser.

Chronos sat silently on top of the wooden dresser. The gilded, silver edge of the spade shape clock softly glimmered in the dim moonlight and Alfred looked through the glass covering to see the motionless hands of the clock. Alfred hesitantly reached out for Chronos, and the smooth metal surface was comfortingly familiar to Alfred, and his grip turned firm on the pocketwatch.

With a quick glance at the digital, glowing clock in the room, Alfred discovered that it was a little after 4:00 in the morning. While he would have normally been sleeping at this time, Alfred couldn’t bring himself to go back to sleep, his mind turning over the images of the dream. Soon he found himself slipping out of his room and silently made his way downstairs and headed towards the kitchen. Alfred was on autopilot as he made a pot of coffee and sat at the island counter slowly sipping at his hot drink.

Alfred let his mind run over the events of the dream, like a video stuck on a loop. The dark forest, the burning village, and Arthur; repeat, the smell of smoke, the child crying, and Arthur; repeat, the sound of screams, a lifeless body, and Arthur. Alfred’s grip on his mug tightened, threatening to shatter the delicate ceramic in his hands. The image of Arthur refused to leave his head, remembering how small and fragile Arthur looked standing alone in front of the hulking mass of Ivan. Alfred couldn’t stop the uneasiness that rose thinking back on his dream and the guilt of not being able to stand by Arthur’s side. Stuck in his own thoughts, Alfred didn’t notice when his coffee went cold and the morning sun started to peek through the kitchen window.

It was a new day and Barbra groaned as she groggily made her way through her morning routine and cursed herself for taking a morning shift. She quickly made her way down stairs, the wooden floorboards creaking softly in her approach, and stop short when she saw the hunched figure of Alfred sitting at the kitchen island.

“Alfred?” Barbra asked softly, her head tilting in confusion. “What on earth are you doing up at this hour?”

However, Alfred was too wrapped up in his own thoughts to even notice Barbra entering the kitchen, continually twisting the chain of Chronos absentmindedly between his fingers.

Worried by the lack of an answer, Barbra made her way to Alfred and gently placed her hand on his shoulder. “Is everything alright, Alfred?”

The soft touch to his shoulder jolted Alfred from his thoughts, and the last of his cold coffee sloshed in his mug at his sharp jerk to attention. “I’m sorry, I wasn’t paying attention. What did you say?”

Barbra frowned in concern; it was worrying enough that Alfred was up before the sun was fully out, but even more so with how tense the boy looked.

“I asked if everything was all right?” Barbra repeated.

“Oh,” Alfred nodded distractedly. “Ya, I’m fine.”

Barbra was skeptical. “Are you sure? Normally it would take ten minutes of yelling and tempting you with bacon to get you downstairs before 7.”

Alfred lips upturned slightly and he let out a weak laugh. “Ya, you’re right.” He sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck and looked away. “I just had a bad dream is all.”

“A bad dream?” Barbra raised her eyebrows. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“Naw, it's all right.” Alfred waved dismissively. “You have to get ready for work, and I wouldn’t want to make you late by talking about my silly dream. I’ll be fine.”

Barbra frowned at Alfred’s quick refusal. “Alfred, obviously this was more than just a silly dream. Whatever you saw clearly upset you, so it doesn’t matter if I’m late or not, you’re wellbeing comes first.” She grabbed the adjacent stool and settled herself down. “So tell me about it.”

“Well,” Alfred hesitated; he didn’t want Barbra to get in trouble with her workplace but with the woman’s pointed glare he continued. “I’m not really sure where to start, I mean most of it’s a jumbled mess.” 

“Hmm, well is there anything that stands out the most?” Barbra offered in suggestion.

Despondent, green eyes and Arthur’s pale and dirty face flashed to the forefront of Alfred’s mind and his response was a grumbled whisper. “Arthur.”

“Arthur?” Barbra asked, not quite sure if she heard correctly but with a confirming nod from Alfred she smiled at the progress they were making. “Now, that young man is the Queen of Spades, correct? Or is he the Jack?”

“No, Arthur is the queen. But I couldn’t, and he was – I just,” Alfred struggled to organize is thoughts, and in the end he stared at Barbra with misty eyes, and let it all out in one big rush. “I felt so trapped in that dream, like I couldn’t do anything. At first there was a dark forest and a fire in the distance; there were people that needed me but I wasn’t able to get to them. Then I was in a destroyed village, trying to console a crying child but he couldn’t see me, it was like I didn’t exist. And then, there was Arthur.”

Barbra was only able to nod along to what Alfred was saying in his emotional rant and waited for him to finish. Knowing it was probably best to let him get it all out of his system before offering input.

“Arthur is amazing. He is always so well put together, and straight-laced, he’s smart and confident and honestly the best Queen that Spades could ever ask for and I’ve always lov – I mean looked up to him. But,” Alfred looked away from Barbra and worried Chronos between his fingers. “The Arthur in my dream, he just looked so beaten. He was injured, exhausted and in pain, fighting against Ivan by himself. I am the King of Spades, it is my duty to protect my Kingdom, but I couldn’t move! I was forced to just watch!” Alfred slammed his hand down in anger and it created a harsh slap against the wooden surface of the island. “And now, I can’t that image out of my head! I just keep thinking of what if that actually happened!? If I was that close to losing him?” Alfred slumped back into his chair, his anger fading as the worry came back. “And if I were to lose him and the last memories he had, were of me hating him?”

The kitchen seemed too quiet after Alfred’s outpouring of thoughts and emotions and Barbra gave Alfred a moment to collect himself. The poor boy looked exhausted, with dark circles under his eyes, and Barbra had to hold back the urge to just smother Alfred in a comforting hug.

Alfred needed advice, or at least some encouraging words to calm down his racing thoughts, and Barbra decided it was time to help. “Well, I’m not sure if I can completely follow along, but to me it sounds like you regret leaving Spades.”

“Regret leaving?” Alfred repeated in question, turning his weary gaze towards Barbra. “But, I love it here, so why would I want to go back?”

“Well,” Barbra gave Alfred a soft smile. “You left, and from what I understood as not the best of terms. You obviously care a great deal for Spades, and especially Arthur, so your dream could be a manifestation of the guilt from leaving as you did. It could be your unconsciousness urging you to go back and apologize.”

Alfred worried on his bottom lip and his face was set in a thoughtful frown. “But I -”

“Alfred.” Barbra interrupted. “I don’t have all the answers, and ultimately what you decide to do is up to you. But I want you to think about when you left Spades, did you see it as permanent or were you going to return?”

Alfred eye’s widened in realization. “I was always going to go back.” He mumbled to himself.

Barbra smiled as she watched the tense lines of Alfred’s shoulders ease away and the upset frown slide into a more calmed expression. Whatever had been plaguing his mind seemed to have settled, however she had an inkling of what Alfred needed and if he chose to leave then she would have to be supportive, even if she would miss the two boys.

She gave the clock on the oven a quick glance and realized if she left now she would only be a few minutes late to work. “Well, for whatever you do decide to do Alfred, I want you to know that I enjoyed having you here. You and Matthew were a handful at times, but I wouldn’t trade our time together for anything. I know you may doubt yourself sometimes, about who you are and what you should do, but I see you as a brave young man who will do extraordinary things. Spades is lucky to have you as their King.”

Alfred stared up at Barbra; his eye’s slightly teary and in one quick movement, flung himself out of his chair and enveloped Barbra in a massive hug. “Thank you, and I’m sorry, so sorry but I,” Alfred took a deep breath. “I have to go back to Spades.”

“It's alright, Alfred” Barbra gave a comforting pat on the young man’s back. “I understand.”

Alfred pulled away and gave her his hundred-watt smile.

Barbra looked at the clock again and saw her time running out. “Now I have to get going, but if you're not here when I get back. I just want to say good luck with Arthur.”

“Thank you.” Alfred blushed a bit and pulled Barbra back into one last hug before the older woman had to pull away and rush out the door.

Alfred was left standing in the center of the kitchen, a huge grin on his face and a determine gleam in his eyes as he finally understood what he had to do. He quickly made his way upstairs and threw open his bedroom door. Taking a spare backpack, Alfred threw in a few sets of his favorite t-shirts and pants that Barbra had bought, as well, as some other knickknacks that he wanted to bring back to Spades.

After filling the backpack, Alfred then knelt next to the bed and pulled out a garment bag from underneath the frame. With almost hesitant hands, he slowly pulled down the zipper and took out his King’s coat. The dark blue garment looked the same, as always, save for a few stitches when Barbra had to fix the tears, and Alfred couldn’t stop the smile that spread across his face at the familiarity of the object. He quickly put on the dress shirt and slacks that went with his King’s outfit and slipped on the jacket that fit just as perfectly as the day Arthur had made it.

A soft gleam of metal brought Alfred’s attention back down to the bag where the last two items remained. One was the mysterious Joker’s card, which he picked up and placed in the inner pocket of his coat. The other was his sword, the one that Arthur had made for him on his sixteenth birthday. Looking at the blooming rose design on the pommel, Alfred was hit with a nostalgic feeling. He was going back, no even better, he was going home and he couldn’t wait to see Arthur.

Alfred knew that it wasn’t going to be easy, Arthur was most likely going to tear his head off when he got back, but Alfred was going to apologize and he was going to make things better. Equipping his scabbard with a determined tug, Alfred gave his room a quick once over; slung his backpack onto his shoulder and strode out of his door, heading to Matthew’s room.

With a loud knock, not bothering to wait, Alfred burst into his brother’s room. “Mattie! Wake up!”

Instead of a reply, Alfred got hit in the face with a thrown pillow, which was a light punishment consider Matthew is not a morning person.

Alfred gave a small chuckle at his brother’s behavior. “Matt, I really think you should get up.”

An irritated grumble sounded from underneath the mound of blankets on Matthew’s bed. “I swear Alfred, if you don’t leave this room right now I will break all of your stupid video games.”

“But Mattie.” Alfred whined, drawing out the name.

“Dammit Al, let me sleep. I –” Matthew threw off the covers to glare at his brother for disturbing him, but stop and stared in shock. 

His brother’s outline was a tad bit blurry without his glasses, but the Royal blue coat was still recognizable. Matthew quickly scrabbled to shove his glasses on his face, just to make sure he wasn’t seeing things. “That’s your King’s coat, and your sword, but why are you wearing it Al? What’s going on?”

Alfred let a grin spread on his face. “Pack your things, Matthew. We are going back to Spades.”


	17. There's no place like home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whooo! I absolutely love Christmas break, no more exams, assignments or essays! And I'd like to wish everyone a belated Happy Holidays
> 
> This chapter got a little bit longer than intended, but I'd like to think of it as a fond parting gift for 2016. So if you read this on the January 1st, Happy New years guys!
> 
> Once again, please excuse any grammar mistakes or spelling as this hasn't been edited
> 
> Feel free to drop a comment or a kudos,  
> And as usual, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy! :D

“Now, do you have everything?” Matthew asked, for what Alfred felt like the hundredth time.

“Yes, yes. Now just hurry up and get over here.” Alfred waved his brother over impatiently.

After quickly packing, and gathering their belongings, both Alfred and Matthew were eager to return to Spades. The two brothers were currently standing in the center of Barbra’s back yard and Matthew was desperately hoping that the fence that surrounded the yard was high enough to block them from view. While, their outfits were appropriate for life in Cards, Matthew knew that if anyone saw them here it would raise concerns, by having two men with swords walking around. Not to mention, both Alfred and Matthew were currently staring at a card on the ground, which isn’t exactly normal.

Matthew shifted the pack on his shoulder nervously. “Do you still remember how to use it?” He said while pointing uncertainty at the magic card.

“Of course, it’s easy.” Alfred gave his brother a reassuring smile. “Just think of where you want to go and touch the card.”

Matthew just hummed skeptically. “Ya, cause it work out so well the last time you tried it.”

“Hey!” Alfred huffed in offense. “I think it turned out pretty well! I mean Earth was really cool.”

“Ya, ya.” Matthew grumbled to himself and then turned and beseeched at his brother. “Just remember to clearly think of where you want to go this time. I don’t want to end up in some other unknown world.”

Alfred just gave his brother a big smile. “Have some faith, Mattie.” He settled on his knee and held his hand out to his brother. “Come on, take my hand.”

Matthew eyed the card wearily but still walked over and grasped his brother’s hand in a firm grip. “Take us home, Al.”

Alfred nodded to his brother, and then closed his eyes in concentration. He filled his mind with images of Spades, more specifically, Zelené. Alfred remembered the blue marble walls that surrounded the city, the busy markets and crowded streets. He thought of the towering spires of the palace and the elegant garden that Arthur had spent hours cultivating, with the outdoor table set surrounded by his favorite red roses.

Alfred selected the last image; he wanted Arthur’s garden to be the first thing he would see. Focusing with all his might Alfred gently placed his hand on the card and whispered to himself. “Take me make to Spades.

Then once again, with a loud crash, and a dazzling flash of light, both Alfred and Matthew were gone.

* * *

 

Alfred had hoped that the second time using the strange card would give him a little more experience in how to land safely, but the hard crash down dashed that dream immediately. With a resounding thump, both Matthew and Alfred tumble onto the ground in a tangled mess. The aftershock of the magic caused the air around them to crackle with energy and Alfred’s Spades mark tingled with the contact.

It took a moment for Alfred to adjust his eyes from the bright light and he impatiently rubbed his eyes from behind his glasses, hoping to speed up the processes. Yet, it seemed that his brother had beaten him in getting the world to come into focus.

“By the Divines, Alfred!” Matthew cried in shock.

“What?!” Alfred rapidly blinked his eyes, but only seeing blurry shapes of green. “What is it?!” He turned to look at his brother and slowly watched as Matthew’s angry face came into focus.

“You messed it up again!” Matthew shouted in anger. He felt like punching his brother but resorted to pulling his hair in frustration instead. “I told you to think clearly! Is that too much to ask?”

Alfred’s eyes widened. “But I did, I thought of Zelené!” He turned his face away from his brother and looked at where they had landed.

Instead of Arthur’s magnificent garden, with its numerous colors of flowers and carefully cultivated shrubs that Alfred had thought of, the two young men were now sitting in a vast clearing. There was nothing but tall grass and a few wild flowers in the large empty glade with a small dirt road connect to one end of it. 

“Well, obviously you didn’t think hard enough!” Matthew fumed.

“Hey!” Alfred protested indignantly. “It’s not like I’m a master at using a magical card thingamajig that a stranger gave me, I’m trying here.”

“Well, try again cause this is definitely not Zelené.” Matthew retorted with a huff and pointed to the surrounding woods to prove his statement.

Alfred rolled his eyes at his brother’s irritation, choosing to ignore the snappy comment, and once more cleared his mind of any stray thoughts. Alfred decided to focus in on the image of his palace bedroom, hoping that by picking a more familiar setting he could get the card to work. Alfred grabbed Matthew’s hand when he was ready and gently touched the card, desperately praying that it would take him to where he wanted to go. 

However, this time there was no surge of magical energy, and no blinding light. Alfred stared down at the card confused, he thought of where he wanted to go and touch the card so why wasn’t it working?

“Uh, Alfred?” Matthew questioned. “Weren’t we supposed to go somewhere?”

“I’m trying to get it to go.”  Alfred complained in a confused whine. “But it’s not working.” He glared down at the card and gave it a smack.

Matthew’s eyes widened. “What do you mean its not working?”

Alfred gave the card one more solid smack, but the it remained still and unresponsive as it lay on the grass. “What I mean, is that it's not working!” He was on the verge of crumpling the playing card in his frustration.

Matthew let out a groan and slid to the ground next to his brother. “You gotta be kidding me, Al. You broke it didn’t you?”

“No, I did not break anything.” Alfred protested

“Well, then why isn’t it working?” Matthew retorted.

“I don’t know!” Alfred cried in exasperation. “Just give me a few minutes to figure things out.” He pleaded to his brother before he got up to pace as he desperately hoped an idea would come to him.

After watching Alfred pace back and forth for a few minutes, Matthew chose to flop backwards on the grass in defeat. “By the Divines, we’re lost again.” He mumbled to himself. “I just wanted to go home.”

Alfred worried his bottom lip in between his teeth, he had no idea what was wrong with the card and had no idea of how to fix it if it was broken, and his pacing was not proving to be fruitful with producing ideas. The only progresses Alfred seemed to be making was created a little divot in the grass from where he was walking. Alfred let out a discouraged sigh and paused in his pacing to examine his surroundings, and that is when he heard a strange, but familiar sound.

“Mattie do you hear that?!” Alfred exclaimed in excitement.

“Hmm,” Matthew was jerked out of his own thoughts at his brother’s outburst. “Hear what now?” He questioned as he sat up.

A huge grin stretched across Alfred’s face. “The ticking!”

Matthew vaulted off of the ground and rushed towards his brother as Alfred hastily pulled out Chronos, from his pocket, and held it between their two faces. The two brother’s were stunned into silence as they watched the sun glint off of the polished surface of the King’s clock, and heard the soft tick, tick, tick as the second hand make its way around the face of the watch. Alfred couldn’t stop the delighted laugh that rose from his chest at hearing the familiar sound of Chronos, and reveled in the warm glow that it was giving off.

Matthew grabbed his brother in an overjoyed hug. “Its ticking, Chronos is ticking again! Al, do you know what that means?!” Matthew squeezed even tighter, and Alfred had to wheeze for breath. “We are back in Cards!”

Alfred puffed his chest up smugly and spoke with pride. “See I told you I get us home.”

Matthew raised his eyes skeptically at his brother’s statement. “Hmm, I will agree with you that we are back in Cards, but we’re not home yet. We could literally be anywhere in Cards. We still have no idea where we are, specifically.”

Alfred deflated a bit at his brother’s words but perked up a second later. “Wait one sec, I have an idea!”

Alfred ran towards the edge of the glade and eyed one of the taller trees, he circled the base of the trunk looking for an easy way up, but all of the lower hanging branches were slightly out of reach.

Alfred motioned for his bother to come closer. “Give me a boost up, so I can get a better view from the top.”

Matthew had followed his brother, though at a slower pace, and he looked at the tree uncertainly. “Are you sure that’s safe.”

Alfred rolled his eyes. “Yes, it’s a huge tree and the branches are thick so it should hold my weight. Besides, we used to climb trees all the time when we were little.”

Matthew let out a sigh and clasped his hands together in defeat. “Ya, but you weigh a lot more than when we were kids.” He mumbled to himself but still shuffled to stand under one of the branches.

Not hearing his brother’s comment, Alfred gave him a big smile and placed his hands on Matthew’s shoulders and one of his boots in Matthew’s clasped hands. “Kay, on three boost me up. One, two, three!”

With a great heave, Matthew pushed his brother upwards and felt Alfred’s weight disappear from his hands as he managed to snag the lower branch. Soon after, small twigs and leaves were falling down on Matthew’s head as Alfred scrambled up the tree; Matthew had to cringe a few time as he heard a few of the smaller branches snap under his brothers mass. Yet, Alfred managed to make it to the top with relative ease and by balancing on one of the highest most branches he pushed his torso out of the leafy cover blocking his view.

The wind whipped through Alfred’s hair and tugged at his cowlick; he closed his eyes for a moment and let the cool breeze rush past him before taking a deep breath and opening his eyes.

Alfred was now only partially visible to Matthew and he shifted anxiously on the ground. “Well, what do you see? Is there anything you recognize, a town or city?”

“Uhh well,” Alfred squinted his eyes to get a better focus to scan the endless forest of green in front of him, and to his disappointment all he saw were trees and a dirt road. “I don’t see any cities close to us at least.” Then a faint wisp of smoke floating up into the sky that caught his eye. “There is a little bit of smoke coming from the East of us, so maybe a small town.” Now Alfred shifted slightly on his branch to look the other way and his eyes lit up in excitement. “Oh, I can see the Sapphire Mountain range! Mattie, that means we’re in Spades!”

Matthew felt his own excitement rising, but he refused to let his hopes get too high. “Are you sure?”

“Yes! I’d know those blue Mountains anywhere. Mattie, we’re in Spades!” Alfred whooped in delight as he raced down the tree.

“Please be careful, Alfred.” Matthew fretted at his brother’s reckless behavior.

But, his brother’s warning came a tad too late as Alfred misjudged the strength of the next branch and went tumbling down through the next few branches and landed with a thump on the ground. Matthew let out a concerned gasp and rushed to his brother’s side, picking out twigs and leaves from his hair and searching for wounds. Alfred brushed aside his fretting brother’s hands, insisting that he was fine, and vaulted off of the ground.

Alfred rushed to the dirt road he saw that connect to the edge of clearing they were in and pointed down it eagerly. “Come on, this road is heading East and that’s where I saw the smoke. Hopefully, if we follow this we can find that town to figure out where we are.” 

Matthew let out a sigh of relief as he watched his brother bounce impatiently, glad that the fall hadn’t injured anything. He made his way over to his brother to be all but dragged behind his brother as Alfred grabbed his arm and tugged him off down the road.

* * *

 

Alfred let out a sigh, for what Matthew felt like the hundredth time, and he kicked a pebble along the dirt road as they were walking. As the little stone rolled to a stop Alfred let out one more sigh before he slumped his weight onto his brother’s shoulder.

“We have been walking for hours, Mattie.” Alfred whined into brother’s ear.

Grunting under the unexpected weight, Matthew shuffled Alfred off of his shoulder and gave him an unsympathetic pat on the back. “And we will probably be walking for a few more at the pace we are going at.”

“Ugh!” Alfred let out another moan but he did manage to pick up his pace. “You know what the first thing I’m going to do when we get back to Zelené, Mattie?” Alfred question, hoping that a little conversation would keep him entertained.

“Hmm,” Matthew pondered a moment before he smirked. “Kiss Arthur?”

Alfred actually tripped over his feet as he sputtered, his face red, “No!” And at his brother’s raised eyebrow, Alfred stuck his tongue out in defiance. “Arthur’s going to be so mad at me that I probably won’t be able to have a normal conversation with him for a week.” Alfred pouted at that thought.

Watching the small frown form on his brother’s face, Matthew felt a bit guilty for making the jib and tried to steer the conversation back to the original comment. “Well, what is it that you want to do?”

“Oh,” Alfred perked back up. “Cars! I’m going to invent the car for Spades, so no ones has to endure this horrible walking.” He gave an enthusiastic tug to his brother’s sleeve.

“A car?” Matthew had to chuckle at his brother’s idea, and the reason behind it. “But what about horses, I think they’re fine for getting around. Though, I thought the first thing you would try and invent would be electricity?”

Alfred’s sky blue eyes sparkled with delight. “That’s a great idea! I mean, I guess horses are fine for now, but with electricity we could have lights, TV’s and video games! Yes, electricity first then cars. Oh but what about…”

Matthew just shook his head and tuned out his brother as he continued to rant about the new things he wanted to bring to Spades. It was one of Matthew secret methods he had learned to use when dealing with Alfred; people would often praise him for his patience with his older brother, but the truth was that he just smile and nodded at certain points while he zoned out into his own world.

With a few more hours of walking, both boys perked up with interest as a road sign came into view and they both sprint the last few meters. It looked extremely old, and slightly overgrown with ivy, but had two clear wooden arrows pointing towards the opposite roads where the path forked. The arrow pointing to the left road said Lullance and the arrow pointing right said Barncombe. There was also a third sign that pointed down the road they came from, but it was broken off and all that was left was jagged edges.

Alfred nearly leapt for joy. “Barncombe! Mattie that a town near Zelené.” He grabbed his brother in a big hug.

But Matthew was stiff in Alfred’s embrace, as his mind whirled in confusion. “No, that can’t be right. It doesn’t make any sense.” He mumbled to himself.

“Come on, Mattie!” Alfred pulled back to give Matthew a big grin, completely oblivious to his brother’s serious expression. “The sign says that Barncombe is only a few hours away, if we hurry we could make it before nightfall!”

Alfred went to rush off down the right road, expecting to drag Matthew along behind him, but was unexpectedly stopped short as his brother stood firm. “Al, I think something is wrong.” Matthew said while still staring at road sign.

“Why would you say that?” Alfred asked confused.

“I know this road sign.” Matthew said distractedly. “It’s called King’s Crossing, and it’s where two of the major roads in Spades connect to go into Zelené. But we have been walking for hours, Al. We should have seen more people on such a busy road, heck you should have seen Zelené from that tree you climbed.”

Alfred pondered. “Are you sure it’s the same road sign you’re remembering. I mean it could be another one?”

“No.” Matthew said firmly. “I would know this crossing anywhere. I would, I mean,” Matthew slightly blushed, “I would sometimes ride out here to meet the Diamonds escort when they traveled to Spade’s palace.”

Alfred smirked. “You mean you would ride out here to surprise Francis?”

Matthew’s blush deepened. “That’s not the point!” He waved his hand and changed the topic. “Alfred, something is wrong!”

Alfred sobered up a bit at his brother’s serious tone. “Mattie, we have no idea where we are, we could be a bit turned around and I could have missed Zelené when looking. So let's just head to Barncombe and center ourselves first.”

“Ok,” Matthew reluctantly agreed. “But promise me that you’ll be careful?”

“Hmhm.” Alfred gave a vigorous nod to his head and pulled his brother off towards Barncombe.

* * *

 

The smell of smoke and cooking meat wafted on the evening air as Alfred and Matthew crested a final hill and the small town of Barncombe came into view. There were faint sounds of livestock and general chatter that grew clearer as the two boys drew closer to the town. Barncombe looked just as Alfred remember the little city. It was a smaller than most cities that were close to Zelené, made up of quaint little houses and a simple wooden wall for protection, but boasted some of the best markets to buy fresh produce.

Alfred would have leapt for joy at the sight of the small town, but he decided to save his achy feet from the trouble. Though, Alfred did pick up his pace and dragged a weary Matthew behind him. However, a quick jerk on the collar of his jacket stopped Alfred in his tracks.

“Before we go in, I want you to take off your jacket.” Matthew said seriously, while still tugging at his brother’s jacket.

“What, why?” Alfred whined, just wanting to get to Barncombe and would rather not deal with the cool air in just his dress shirt.

Matthew shifted anxiously. “I just don’t think it’s a good idea for you to be wearing it for when we go into the town.”

“But it's cold.” Alfred pouted.

“And you have been missing for three months, Alfred.” Matthew directed a hard stare at his brother. “That jacket clearly marks you as a monarch of Spades. Don’t you think that having the King of Spades show up in this little city after a few months of disappearance would cause quite a stir?”

Alfred sighed in defeat. “Ya, I guess you’re right.” He shrugged off his jacket and shoved the garment into his bag, while already feeling the cool breeze beginning to steal his body heat.

Matthew nodded. “Thanks.” Both of them started walking towards Barncombe again till Matthew grabbed his brother once more and said. “Also let me do the talking, I can be a bit more subtle than you so it would probably be better.”

“Uh?” Alfred gave his brother an incredulous stare. “I can be subtle!”

“Hmhm.” Matthew sounded skeptical. “Just let me handle everything, please.” He grabbed Alfred’s hand and gave it a squeeze, trying to convince the stubborn King. “I’m just a little anxious right now, and it would make me feel better if we aired on the side of caution.”

Alfred felt himself giving in easily as he took in his brother’s tense posture and gave him a reassuring smile. “Fine, you can do the talking too.”

“Thanks.” Matthew returned the smile.

It took only a few more minutes till both Alfred and Matthew were walking through the wooden gate of Barncombe, and much to Matthew relief, nobody paid attention to the two of them as they began to walk along the muddy streets. The two young men blended into the small crowds that were moving along the main road and even paused to look at a few of the stalls that were set up.

Alfred was ecstatic and desperately tried to restrain his desire to run through the familiar town. Everything was as he remembered it, minus a few new stalls and shops, and Alfred had to sigh in relief, as the town looked nothing like it had in his dream. Yet, as Alfred’s excitement rose, Matthew’s worries only grew. The town seemed similar to his memories but now looked dirtier and more dilapidated than Matthew remembered, and the overall feeling was tense. Alfred was oblivious to the uneasy atmosphere that was almost suffocating in the small city, and Matthew couldn’t help but notice how the citizens scurried about as if in fear of being out too long. 

A large crash on the other side of the road drew Matthew’s attention and his violet eyes widened in shock. Reacting quickly, Matthew grabbed Alfred’s arm and dragged him into a side alley, keeping them hidden in the shadows while still being able to see what was happening.

Matthew had to shove a hand over his brother’s mouth to cut off his protests. “Shh, and listen.” He pointed to where a crowd had gathered.

Looking to where his brother had pointed, Alfred gasped at what he saw. A small group of people was anxiously watching five heavily armored guards surround an elderly man and his now broken supplies. However, the real confusion part to Alfred was that these guards did not bear the royal blue crest of Spades but the deep green crest of Clubs.

“What’s going on?” Alfred whispered in his brother’s ear.

“Shh!” Matthew hissed back, replacing his hand back on his brother’s mouth and leaned forward to listen better.

One of the soldiers stepped forward and roughly grabbed the front of the old man’s shirt. The quick movement offset the poor man’s balance and he was tugged forward with his feet dragging in the mud. The old man tried to scrabble against the harsh, metal, grip, but it proved useless and he slumped in defeat.

“Well?” Came the harsh voice from the soldier. “Did you or did you not see the blue light in the sky?!”

“No.” Was the old man's simple reply.

Yet, that seemed to be the wrong answer as the soldier sneered in disgust and tossed the old man onto the ground where he landed in a muddy heap. Alfred’s shout of anger was muffled by Matthew’s hand and his brother struggled to keep him from bursting out of their hiding place and socking the cruel guard in the face. However, nobody noticed Alfred’s muffled shout in the alley as everyone on the road was focused on the group of Club soldiers.

Deeming the old man useless, the soldier spun to his audience and drew his sword. “Then how about the rest of you?!” He pointed at various people with his weapon and grinned wickedly as he watched them coward back in fear. “Did you see the light? Did any strangers visit the city or notice any suspicions people?”

Various no’s and quickly shaken heads were their response as the people shrank from the violent man in front of them.

“You are all useless.” Then the soldier let out a bored sigh and pulled a wanted poster from his pocket and flashed it to the crowd. “If anyone has knowledge regarding this man, you are to report the information to one of my guards immediately. A reward will be given for any help, while anyone that hinders our search will be killed.” With the threat given, the guard nailed the poster to a stall nearby. 

With a swift signal from their captain, the soldiers filled out of the small square and disappeared around the corner of the road. The crowd that had gathered at the small scene quickly dispersed; the old man was left alone to pick up the broken pieces of his products. Despite Matthew’s best efforts, Alfred’s strength won out and broke out of his brother’s grip and raced towards the elderly man; ignoring Matthew’s cry to comeback.

Alfred could care less about the muddy ground as he dropped to his knees to help collect the small pieces of wood and other supplies for the man. He gave a quick glance over looking for signs of injury on the man before asking, “Are you alright? You didn’t get hurt did you?”

The man’s grey hair, that wasn’t plastered to his head by mud, swayed in time with this harsh shake of his head. “No, I’m fine. Please you don’t need to be doing this.” Came his soft reply, his gaze lowered as he quickly tried to collect his materials.

Alfred ignored the man’s comment and reached out to take what the man had already gathered. “No, I want to help.”

The elderly man gasped as Alfred took away his materials and looked up with surprise in his warm brown eyes. Alfred stood, shifted the items under his arm and offered his free hand to help the man up, a gentle smile on his face. Yet, the man remained frozen on the ground and stared up in shock at Alfred.

Alfred frowned in concern at the man’s motionless stare. “Are you sure you’re alright?”

Matthew was in a near state of panic as he watched his brother stride into the open and saw the old man freeze up at the sight of Alfred. Thinking quick, Matthew dashed to the stall where the poster had been pinned and ripped it off; his gripped tightened, crumbling the edge of the paper, as he looked at it. A familiar face gazed back at him in black and white, a big grin, eyes framed by glasses and the iconic cowlick made up his brother’s face. The large print of ‘Wanted Alfred Jones, the King of Spades’ by the decree of Clubs at the bottom of the page made Matthew’s stomach drop in dread and he crumpled the paper up and threw it on the ground.

“Al,” Matthew hissed towards his brother, desperately trying to tug him away. “We need to go, we need to go now!”

Alfred brushed off his brother’s hand and remained in front of the older man on the ground, his hand still offering him help up. Yet, it seemed that Matthew’s urgent tone had stirred the man back into action and he quickly took Alfred’s hand and began pushing Matthew and Alfred down a side alley, his remaining products forgotten.

“Yes, quickly. We must go quickly.” The man nudged them with a surprising amount of strength and herded them along. “It’s not safe for you to be here. I have to get you somewhere safe.”

“Wait, your stuff.” Alfred pointed back to the road, trying to go back and grab it, but was pushed further down the alley by the man.  

“What are you doing? Stop!” Matthew protested and refused to move further.

The old man glared at Matthew. “We need to get him,” He pointed to Alfred, “off the street and somewhere the guards won’t find him. So I’m taking you to my daughter’s house.”

“And why should we trust you?” Matthew glared back and ignored his brother’s scolding to be nice to the elderly.

The man let out a huff and gestured to his mud stained clothes. “I’m not exactly a fan of Clubs as you can see.”

Matthew still took a few seconds to scrutinize the man and was going to protest again when Alfred spoke up with a grin. “I would love to visit your daughter’s house.”

“Alfred!” Matthew gripe. “You shouldn’t be so trusting! Did you see the wanted poster? It had your name and face on it! For all we know he could be leading us to the guards.”

Alfred’s eyes widened in surprise. “I have a wanted poster?!”

Matthew slapped his forehead in frustration and grumbled to himself, “How can you be so oblivious?”

“Please,” the man interrupted the two brothers. “I know it takes a lot to trust a stranger, but please try to. I am trying to help.”

Alfred just gave his brother a roguish grin and stood beside the older man. “I trust him.”

Matthew merely shook his head in defeat and silently followed behind Alfred and the old man as they once again made their way through the back alleys of Barncombe. It only took a few more minutes of walking through the twisting, dark, backstreets when the elderly man stopped in front of a rundown house and knocked twice on the wooden door before entering. All three of them shuffled into the dimly lit house and the smell of a cooking stew made Alfred’s stomach growl.

“Bethany, I’m home.” The man called out to his daughter.

“About time.” Came the feisty reply from the young women who came to greet them. She looked to be a few years older than Alfred and was wearing a dirty apron. “I was getting worried, it was already past the time you where –” She stopped short as her brown eyes narrowed in scrutiny at Alfred and Matthew, then she turned to frown at her father. “I thought I told you to stop picking up strays! We barely have enough food for the two of us.”

Both Matthew and Alfred looked at each other uncertainly and then to the older man. “Bethany, they just need a place to stay for a while, just until the Club soldiers leave.”

“Why?” Was her tense reply.

The man scratched his head sheepishly. “One of them might be wanted...”

“Great!” Bethany exclaimed sarcastically. “Now we can be hungry and have the possibility of being arrested.” She stormed out of the room, the sounds of pots and pans clanging, most likely from the kitchen. She returned seconds later with a couple of bowls in her hands and set them down at the table with a sigh. “Well, come in at least. It's not the best stew but it should be filling, so please eat up.”

Alfred stared at the food, nearly drooling, but before he could make a move towards the table Matthew spoke up. “I’m sorry to be causing you such trouble. If you can just tell us how to get to Zelené, then we can get out of your hair.”

Bethany who had returned with two more bowls of stew paused midway in placing the bowls, a confused look on her face. “Zelené?”

“Ya,” Alfred tore his gaze away from the food to give Bethany a smile. “I have to get back so I can talk to Arthur and tell him what’s happened here. I don’t know why Clubs soldiers were in the market like that, but I’m sure as soon as Arthur finds out he going to get this mess cleared up, I promise.”

Now it was the old man’s turn to be confused. “Arthur?”

Alfred gave a quick chuckle. “You know Arthur, he’s the Queen of Spades, he’s got big eyebrows and a fierce temper?”

Bethany gave Alfred a funny look. “Are you alright? Did you hit your head or somethin’?”

“No why?” Alfred tilted his head in puzzlement, wondering why she would ask him something like that. 

“Well, there hasn’t been a Queen of Spades for around 300 years. People said he died with the destruction of Zelené.”

Alfred felt the smile slip off his face and his body turn cold. “What?”  

“We were at war with Clubs and lost. There is no more Spades.”


	18. It all came tumbling down

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew, I finished it!   
> I was a little worried in the beginning that I wouldn't be able to get this chapter out for a while. I have been having soooo many computer problems. First, while I was writing my hard drive decided to give up and all I could get on my computer was a white screen. Next, when I took it in to get it fixed, they deleted everything off my computer :'( and they still couldn't get it fixed. So now after giving up on the old computer, I had to empty by bank account and get a new one. 
> 
> A big shoutout to my housemates that let more borrow their computer so I could update this chapter for you guys as fast as I could.
> 
> Also, since this was written with multiple computers and my phone it might have a few spelling or grammar errors, so please forgive me. (I blame auto-correct)
> 
> Feel free to drop a comment or a kudos,  
> And as usual, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy! :D

Zelené is gone and Arthur is dead, those two thoughts pounded inside of Alfred’s head. He could feel an icy cold spread across his body, numbing Alfred from his surrounds. He blocked out Bethany’s voice as her concerned questions simply washed over him and instead, Alfred thought of Arthur. Of how Arthur would hum to himself while he tended to his garden, or how easily he’d blush at a compliment. Alfred pictured Arthur's unruly, golden hair, his soft, pink lips and how his emerald eyes would light up with his rare smiles. With startling clarity, Alfred released that everything he’d just remembered is now gone, that those precious memories where something that he would never be able to see again.

“No.” Was Alfred’s hoarse whisper before his strength left him and he crumbled to the ground.

Alfred barely heard his brother’s cry of alarm when he slumped to the ground, hand tightly clasping his shirt as painful sobs torn from his chest. Matthew dropped down just as fast and instantly wrapped his brother in a comforting hug.

Bethany’s eye’s widened in alarm as she watched the young man break down. “Oh my goodness! Is he alright?” She rushed forward and awkwardly hovered above the two blondes. “I had no idea he would react like that. I am so sorry.”

Matthew ignored Bethany and rubbed a hand across his brother’s back. “Al,” His breath hitching with emotion as he tried to speak softly to gain his brother’s attention. “Please Alfred, take deep breaths.” Yet, Matthew words fell on deaf ears as his brother’s sobs continued.

Alfred was ignorant to the world and whispering to himself. “They’re all gone. Everyone we knew here is gone.”

“Alfred, please look at me.” Matthew cried, and gently tugged his brother’s face to look at him.

Seeing Matthew’s familiar violet eyes, Alfred’s face crumpled even more and he finally returned his brother’s hug in an almost vice like grip. “I just wanted to apologies to Arthur. To tell him that I was sorry, and that I love him, and I will always love him. But now…” Alfred trailed off, and broke down crying again.

Bethany nervously wrung her hands. “I just thought that it was common knowledge.” She started to back away towards the kitchen. “Maybe I should make some chamomile tea.”

Matthew gave a vague nod as response, his attention still focused on Alfred as he desperately tried to ease his brother’s agony. Honestly, Matthew was just as shocked to learn about the fate of Spades, but his more pressing concern was his distraught brother. Never in all his life had he seen Alfred look so devastated. Alfred’s blue eyes, while red and puffy with tears, lacked their usual spark of life, and Matthew was desperate to help his brother but unsure on what he should do. Bethany hurried back with multiple cups of steaming tea and handed them out, but when she offered to Alfred, he merely cried harder at the familiar scent and she jerked the cup back.    

“He really is the King, isn’t he?” It was the first time that Bethany’s father had spoken up after the devastating revelation. He had watched the scene unfold with a critical eye, but sighed when he came to an understanding. “When I saw the poster and how similar this young man was to the image; I had hoped it to be true. I had hoped that when our King returned, he would be able to fix things. But you really had no idea what had happened in Spades, did you?”

“Well, yes. Alfred is, I mean Alfred was the King of Spades.” Matthew shifted slightly, a nervous habit, and gripped his brother in a protective hold. “But I don’t know now.” He ran a hand through his hair in frustration and blinked back tears. “Everything is just...”

Bethany nearly dropped her cup of tea at Matthew’s words and stared at Alfred with a strange expression and whispered to herself, “That’s impossible. Our King vanished centuries ago.”

Then unexpectedly, Alfred sprung to his feet, startling not only his brother but everyone else in the room. There were faint tremors racing down Alfred’s frame and his balled fists shook with emotion. Matthew was relieved to see the tears had stopped trailing down his brother’s face, and instead Alfred’s blue eyes showed a desperate need for answers.

“Tell me what happened.” Alfred’s voice was rough from crying, but the order was firm.

Matthew frowned, not wanting to upset his brother further. “Maybe that should wait for a bit. All of this might be too much of a shock for you.”

“No, I need to know what happened.” Alfred shook his head vehemently.

Bethany gave Matthew an uncertain look, but with a slow accepting nod from violet-eyed man she started to explain. “I’m sure some of the information is wrong, three hundred years is a long time and rumors only grow with age, but many speculate that it all started with the bright, blue flash in the sky. Some say that it was a warning from the Fates of the disaster to come, while other say that it caused the King’s disappearance. But it matters not, because soon after the bright flash, Clubs invaded Diamonds.”

“Diamonds?!” Matthew jolted, spilling some of the tea and nearly dropping his cup, his own worry rising. “Did anything bad happen there? Did Ivan, I mean Clubs attack the Diamonds’ palace? Is Francis alright?”

Bethany shook her head. “As far as I know Diamonds is fine. Actually, it was a smooth victory for Clubs as the King of Diamonds surrendered without out a fight, the whole conflicted ending in a few days. Thus, Clubs used Diamonds as their main point to launch their attack on the mainland of Cards. The surrender took everyone by surprise, and the King of Clubs wasted no time after his first victory, and pressed his advance on Spades with the aid of Diamonds. Spades was caught unprepared, our forces were not ready and our King was missing. As a result, the King of Clubs easily carved a path through Spades with Clubs and Diamonds’ forces all heading towards Zelené. It was a desperate time for Spades, we were outmatched and outnumbered; our Queen defended us the best he could, but even he was no match for Ivan’s strength without the support of his King.”

Bethany had to pause and take a sip of her tea. “Now, not many are sure what happened next, but it was believed that as a last desperate act, the Queen of Spades tapped into a forbidden magic, one that he couldn’t control, in hopes to stop Ivan. While it did manage to harm Ivan, the magic was too much for the Queen and it created a backlash that destroyed him and whipped Zelené from the face of Spades.”

Alfred felt his legs go weak and he almost slumped to the floor again. “Just like my dream.” Dread swelled up from within Alfred, and he began to lose himself to his own thoughts. “I saw it happen.” He whispered to himself.

Noticing his brother starting to close himself off, Matthew quickly spoke up. “I think he might be going into shock.” Matthew looked to Bethany hesitantly. “Would it be possible to let him rest somewhere?”

“Yes, yes.” Bethany leapt up from her chair and ushered to two young men to the back of the house. “He can use father’s bed.”

Matthew gently tugged his brother to follow, and Alfred was easily towed along by his brother’s guiding hand. Alfred was pliant to his brother’s suggestions and soft pushes, walking without complaint to the bedroom and even letting his brother remove his glasses and tuck him under the covers like he was a child again.

Fiddling with the bed sheets longer than necessary, Matthew reached out and captured his brother in another hug. “Just, please get some rest. It's going to be all right.” He whispered encouragingly into Alfred’s ear.  

Looking back as he left the room, Matthew let out a worried sigh as Alfred simply stared blankly at the ceiling. His footsteps creaked on the floorboards as he wearily made his way back out to the small dining room. Matthew slumped down into a spare chair and took a deep breath to calm his racing thoughts.    

“I can’t believe it.” Matthew said to himself. “How could this have happened?” He rested his head in his arms, trying to keep himself together. “What do we do know?”

Bethany’s father made his way over to Matthew and placed a comforting hand on the lad’s shoulder. “I know a few people have been holding out a hope that the King would return and save Spades from the tyranny of Clubs.”

Matthew winced at that suggestion. “Alfred is just one man, and against an entire kingdom that seems a little impossible.” Then an idea struck and he looked up hopefully. “But what about the new Queen and Yao the Jack of Spades?” He turned to Bethany. “If a monarch dies then another will take its place, maybe they can help us.”

Bethany shrugged her shoulders. “Nobody has seen a new monarch in Spades since the crowning of your brother. Again, some people have speculated that when the Queen used the forbidden magic it angered the Fates and they have cursed Spades to never have a new monarch again. However, the more likely option is that Clubs has captured the new Queen and Jack. When the King of Clubs learned that the Spade King had disappeared, he began to scour the kingdom looking for him. Thus, the newly marked Queen and Jack would have been easily discovered and captured before anyone realized it.”

“Shit,” Matthew rubbed his head in frustration. “I’m going to need to think things through, do you mind warming me up another cup of tea. I think it’s going to be a long night.”                                           

* * *

 

Alfred blindly let his brother lead him to the bedroom, his body mostly running on autopilot. He gave vague nods when asked by his brother if he was fine to lie down or if he needed a glass of water or another blanket. Alfred could have been lying on a bed of coals and he wouldn’t have notice the difference as he was too far lost in his own chaotic thoughts. He stared blankly at the wooden ceiling above, he had seen it, Alfred had seen the disastrous fight between Arthur and Ivan and he had watched Arthur struggle by himself.

Why did it have to be Arthur to suffer the consequences, Alfred thought to himself. He was the one that left, with no thought as to what he was leaving behind; he was the one that ran away from his duties and his Queen. His brother had asked to go back, many times, and each time Alfred had replied that he had wanted to stay a little bit longer. But what if he had gone back earlier, heck what if he hadn’t left at all? Would all of this still have happened, could he have prevented it? But none of that mattered now, because Arthur was gone.

Without even realizing it, Alfred’s eyes began to droop. His body and mind had worked itself into a state of exhaustion, and as sleep started to tug at Alfred he let it take him, welcoming the release from his turbulent emotions.

* * *

The world that Alfred was looking at was blurry and dark, vague shadows shifted in and out of focus; the overall atmosphere was terrifying. Horrifying screams could be heard from all around him, ranging from high pitch shrieks to wailing moans. Alfred dropped to the ground and shut his eyes, throwing his hands up to cover his ears from the frightening sounds. Yet, to Alfred’s alarm, the sounds merely grew louder when he covered his ears. In his growing panic, Alfred failed to see the shadowed that loomed closer to him, it’s inky black form reaching out to him. It was when an icy cold grip grabbed his arm that Alfred jolted upward and vaulted away from the unknown feeling.

However, in his panicked state Alfred tripped over his own feet and landed a few feet away, he stared up in shock as multiple shadowy figures advanced towards him. Jumping to his feet, Alfred desperately raced away from the approaching figures, but as he ran more wraith like hands emerged from the ground, trying to snag his running feet.

The world around was a confusing wash of blacks and grays, and Alfred had no idea on how to escape his shadowy pursuers; for all he knew, he could have been running in circles. As Alfred felt his panic reaching higher levels, and his legs were beginning to burn under the strain, a gentle sound pierced the horrifying wails and groans. It was soft and light, directing him to a spot of light in this dark world, and without even realizing it, Alfred was drawn to the peaceful presence it held. The closer he got, the clearer the sound grew, and the more the world brightened around him; his fears and worries slipping away and his ghostly chasers faded behind him.

With one more burst of speed, Alfred pushed himself towards the spot of light and found himself tumbling into a world of bright colors. He was standing in a sunny garden, various bushes, flowers and trees growing in a beautiful arrangement, and Alfred was left to stared at a familiar bush of blue Spade roses. Some pink leaves drifted down from an old Eastern redbud, and Alfred was struck with nostalgia as he realized he was standing in the palace garden, more specifically, where he had his first picnic with Arthur.

Yet, there was the soft sound again, close enough for Alfred to recognize it as a person humming. The tune was smooth and silky sounding, with gentle rising and falling of pitch that seemed to make up a child’s lullaby. Curiosity now drove Alfred further into the garden, walking down the familiar stone pathway. It would lead to Arthur’s favorite spot in the garden, where multiple rose bushes were out in full bloom and where a small iron table and chairs were placed so that the Queen could sit and enjoy his tea.  

The atmosphere was so peaceful and calm, like someone was trying to ease all of Alfred’s worries and fears. The warm sun, sweet air, and relaxing humming had a lulling effect on Alfred’s body and he was more than tempted to stop and have a quick nap under one of the numerous trees, but Alfred pulled himself away from the attractive idea. He wanted to see who was humming, Alfred didn’t know why, but he felt it important somehow, that he had to see them.

However, the further Alfred went the more tired he became. His eyes felt heavy and the world around him began to turn fuzzy. Desperate to find the person, Alfred pressed on, focusing on the humming and not how the world around him blended together. With one more corner turned, Alfred stopped as he finally found the source of the gentle tune.

There was a person sitting at Arthur’s iron table, yet even with his glasses on, Alfred had a tough time making out their blurry figure. Their clothes were dark blue, or was it periwinkle? Alfred couldn’t decide and their hair was golden like the sun.

“Hello?” Alfred’s voice sounded harsh to his own ears in comparison to the smooth humming.

The humming stopped abruptly and the figure turned to look at Alfred and he felt his heart rise to his throat. Even as the world around him continued to grow more and more blurry, two stunningly clear, emerald green eyes stared back at Alfred. A line of white appeared on the person’s face, a smile, but Alfred couldn’t look away from their eyes.

Alfred would never forget those eyes. “Arthur?” He managed to rasp out around the lump in his throat.

“Ello, Alfred.” The crisp accented voice echoed across the garden.

“Arthur!” Alfred yelled in excitement and started to race towards the blurry figure. But to Alfred’s horror, his world was rapidly degrading and Arthur’s figure was hardly recognizable now. “No, wait! Arthur!” He desperately reached out.

“Rest now, love.”

Arthur’s crisp words echoed around Alfred head as he fell into a deeper sleep.

* * *

 

The warm morning rays filtered through the crack in the drapes, landing on Alfred’s face and caused him to stir awake. It was hard for Alfred to open his eyes; as the tears he had cried that night had left a sticky layer on his lashes. But he was in no rush, Alfred was warm and comfy, and the lingering sound of the soothing humming still echoed in his head. Finally, gathering enough energy, Alfred rubbed the sleep from his eyes, and as dragged his hands down his face, the green eyes from his dream flashed across his closed eyelids.

Alfred froze as he felt his warm peace shatter again, he had to bite on his knuckle to choked back a sob that threatened to escape as his emotions all came rushing back. It was just a dream, and that was all Arthur was ever going to be now, and Alfred felt like his heart was shattering.

He laid in bed for a few more minutes, staring up at the rafters in the ceiling, blinking back tears that were on the verge of overflowing. Alfred took long shaky breathes, trying to calm his chaotic thoughts. The dream he had before coming back to Spades replayed in Alfred’s mind. He saw Arthur and Ivan standing on the battlefield, with Ivan going to attack Arthur, and Ivan with his sinister smile. Alfred could feel his sadness slowly starting to ebb away, being replaced with anger. His hands balled up into tight fists, and Alfred rose from the bed with a fierce determination. It was Ivan that had destroyed everything, it was Ivan that had attacked Spades, it was Ivan that had killed Arthur, and Alfred was going to make him pay.

With purposeful strides, Alfred made his way out of the bedroom and headed to the small dining area in search for his brother. Matthew was currently slumped over the table, head resting on his folded arms and glasses scrunched awkwardly on his cheek. Alfred debated with himself for a few moments, wondering if he should wake his brother or let him sleep a little longer, till his thoughts were interrupted by a soft touch to his elbow.  

It was Bethany, her warm brown eyes gazing at Alfred. “You should let him sleep.” She whispered. “He was awake all night.”

“Hmhm.” Alfred gave a small nod as he looked at the dark circles under Matthew’s eyes. “He’s going to need all the rest he can get.”

Bethany tilted her head. “Why?”

Alfred locked his determined, blue eyes onto her brown ones. “Because I am going to fix things.” He could feel his resolve firming further as he watched Bethany’s eyes light up with hope. “Last time I ran when it got too hard, but this time it’s going to be different. This time I’m going to stay and fight. Arthur gave up his life to protect Spades, so I’m not just going to stand by while Ivan tears it to the ground. I am the King of Spades and I will save my Kingdom.”


	19. The first step is always the hardest

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is a biggie, but hopefully it will tide you guys over while I get started on the next chapter.
> 
> Again, this has only been edited by me so sorry for any mistakes that I've missed.
> 
> Feel free to drop a comment or a kudos,  
> And as usual, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy! :D

The morning sun rose quickly, and Alfred let his brother sleep for a few more hours till he had to gently shake Matthew awake. It was over a simple breakfast of porridge, which Bethany had made, that Alfred explain his desire to Matthew; he wanted to save Spades, he wanted to take back his kingdom from Ivan. While Bethany and her father looked elated by the idea, Matthew hesitated in his agreement. Matthew stared hard at his brother, gaze searching, he needed to know if Alfred truly wished to save Spades or if it was only Alfred’s anger pushing him for revenge. Taking back the control over Spades was going to be a huge undertaking, one that would be embedded with numerous dangers, and Matthew wasn’t ready to risk Alfred’s life if it was for something as petty as vengeance. He had promised his mother, Anna, that he would protect Alfred, and even if she was no longer around, Matthew wasn’t going to break his promise.

Sky blue eyes stared into soft violet eyes, Matthew could see Alfred’s anger and grief, but he could also see the fiery determination burning in their blue depths. Alfred was stubborn to a fault, and Matthew knew that serious look on his brother’s face all too well, Alfred was going to save Spades, one way or another. Matthew let out a weary sigh and agreed, saying that someone would have to tag along to keep Alfred out of trouble. Alfred gave his brother a shaky, but genuine smile, his first since yesterday.

Their next step was soon the big discussion around the small dining room table, with Alfred and Matthew trying to figure out the best route to take. They both agreed that they needed to gather support, allies and resources, and with Diamonds under Clubs control, that left Hearts as their only option. However, Hearts was extremely far away, being in the Eastern region of Cards, and with Alfred being hunted by Clubs it would make journeying there a difficult task. The fastest way to Hearts would be to take the major roadways across Cards. But, Bethany pointed out that Matthew and Alfred would have to pass through Diamonds, and even by taking side roads there would be Club checkpoints that they would have difficulty getting past.

Thus, Matthew concluded that their best option was to book passage on a ship from one of the numerous ports that Spades has. Traveling by sea would be somewhat slower, depending on the weather, but it would allow Alfred and Matthew to bypass Diamonds altogether, making it the safer and easier option. It was decided that they would go to Araimore Landing, one of the busier ports that Spade offered. By picking a bigger port it would offer more merchant ships, which meant more crowds for Alfred to blend into but also more options to choose from when selecting a ship.

Thus, with their bags packed and Alfred’s Royal Spades coat hidden at the bottom of his bag, along with Chronos, the two brother’s set out wearing a plain black cloak as their disguise. The journey to Araimore was a slow one, since Alfred and Matthew lacked the funds to hire a carriage or buy a horse, which meant that they had to travel by foot. Not to mention, their progress was further slowed by the fact that they had to use many of the side roads to skirt around towns and cities to avoid Alfred’s discovery by any Clubs’ soldiers. Matthew had expected his brother to sigh and complain, but as they continued to travel, he hadn’t heard one complaint from Alfred. It was unnerving for Matthew, who was so used to seeing Alfred’s face in a constant goofy grin, to change to such a dark, brooding expression that would tug the corners of his mouth into a frown. Yet, it was to be expected, and Matthew knew that it would take time for Alfred to cope with their situation.

The first few nights of their travels were the worst, when more often than not, Alfred would wake up in a fit. He would either be in a state of terror, arm outstretched and Arthur’s name slipping for his lips or he would completely break down, sobbing until he exhausted himself. Matthew at first would try to ease Alfred’s pain with comforting words and gentle hugs, but when Alfred would draw away from his brother’s touch, Matthew had learned to simply give Alfred some space. It took about a week till Alfred could manage to sleep through the whole night, but Matthew would wish that his brother would share what’s on his mind and not chose to carry his burdens alone. 

It took about two weeks for the brothers to arrive at the bustling city of Araimore. The smell of fish and salt assaulted their nose as the cool, wet, evening air of the Fates Sea drifted across the city, and the screeching calls from gulls echoed overhead. Araimore is a city of commerce, the streets were packed full of merchant stalls and travelers alike; everyone going about their daily business and creating a lively buzz to the city. Houses of every class could be seen in Araimore, with the wealthier buildings, boasting ornate facades, which overlooked the city’s market squares to the lower class housing, smaller and more worn, that surrounded the edge of the city and near the docks.

Alfred and Matthew used the crowded streets and busy city life to their advantage, with cloak hoods drawn, both of them managed to blend into the regular rush of citizens. Also, with the sun slowing making its way to the horizon, long, dark shadows stretched across the roads, further hid Alfred and Matthew’s face from observing eyes. Managing to avoid all of the Clubs soldiers patrolling the streets, Alfred and Matthew made their way down to the docks. There were slightly less merchant stalls as the brother’s wandered the docks, but that didn’t mean it was less busy. Dozens of ships were at port, their tall masts creating an illusion of a wooden forest. Burly men carried cargo to and from the ships, either off loading their supplies to sell or stocking up for a journey ahead.

Walking the wooden pathways of the docks, Alfred and Matthew listened in to the conversations around them, sometimes stopping to ask questions to people, inquire about their shipping manifests, and ask where they would be heading. As a result, Alfred and Matthew found themselves standing in front of a relatively large clipper, The Gallant, that was due to leave in the next hour heading to Hearts.

A man, presumably the captain of the ship, was yelling orders to his men, urging them to hurry along with the loading of the cargo aboard the ship as he briskly paced along the dock inspecting the last of his shipment. It was when he paused to check one of his papers that Matthew took his chance and step forward. 

“Um, excuse me.” Matthew spoke clearly from under his hood, gaining the captain’s attention. “I had heard from the locals that your ship is heading to Hearts, is that correct?”

The captain eyed to two cloaked brothers suspiciously. “Yes, what of it?”

Matthew’s face lit up into a smile, not that the captain could see it. “Then me and my brother would like to book passage aboard your vessel.” He pointed to himself and Alfred to help clarify.

“Well, I do have room aboard for a few extra passengers.” The captain was still eyeing the two warily. “But, I’m going to need to see your papers first. Then we can discuss the payment.”

“Papers?” Matthew’s head tilted in confusion. He looked back at Alfred hoping for some help, but his brother merely shook his head as well. “I’m sorry, but we don’t have any papers.”

The captain gave a huff. “Look lads, it’s simple. Clubs has dictated that you need papers to travel. So, no papers, no passage.” He shrugged his shoulders dismissively. “Now move along, I have work to do.”

Alfred was shocked at the new information and stepped forward, evading Matthew’s attempt to keep him hidden behind his body. “But we are willing to pay, double even.” He tried to bargain, knowing that gleam of more gold would no doubt make the man agree

“Look,” The captain eyed the brothers critically. “Bribery isn’t going work. The cost of smuggling people out of Clubs’ territories and getting caught is a death penalty. I don’t want to die anytime soon, so I need the official documents to let you aboard. Either come back with them or get lost, cause I don’t want you stirring up any trouble round here.”

Alfred hands had clenched into fists, and he looked about ready to argue, when Matthew quickly spoke up, hoping to diffuse Alfred’s irritation before it would get them in trouble. “Sorry, but could you tell us where we get the proper documents?”

The captain rolled his eyes in annoyance. “The head guard office at the docks.” He pointed to a fancy building at the end of the road. “Though, the papers are going going to cost a far amount since you’re looking to go to Hearts.”

“How much?” Alfred gritted out, frustrated that he would have to pay Clubs to allow him to travel.

“Not exactly sure,” The captain rubbed his chin in thought, “but last time I checked it was about 5 gold coins for Diamonds, 10 gold coins for Clubs and around 25 gold coins for Hearts, and that’s per paper. So for the both of you it would be around 50 gold coins.”

Alfred’s eyes widened under the shadow of his hood, and he yelled in outrage. “50 gold coins?!”

Matthew jumped at his brother’s outburst and quickly grabbed Alfred’s arm. “Thank you for the information, we will be leaving now.” He gave a quick bow before tugging Alfred away from the Captain and down an empty alleyway.

It was dark and the shadows hid them from view, but Matthew was still unease and nervously peeked his head around the corner to see if anyone had followed them. Alfred’s shout had directed attention towards them, and Matthew could still feel all those gazes that had turned to look at them. It didn’t matter that they were cloaked, with their faces hidden from view, they still needed to be careful.

So Matthew turned his fierce glare towards his brother, gripping Alfred’s shoulders he spoke in a serious tone. “Alfred you need to calm down. We are going to get spotted with you yelling like that. This is why I told you to let me to the talking.”

“But this is so stupid.” Alfred pushed off his hood and pulled at his blonde hair in frustration. His sky blue eyes burned bright under his glasses. “Spades never required papers to travel! And 50 gold coins?! Mattie, we barely have 20 gold coins. That’s not even enough for one paper, let alone two.”

Matthew cringed as Alfred’s voice rose again and he tugged the hood back over his brother’s face. “It’s going to be fine.” Matthew let out a sigh and turned to face the water, his violet eyes searching the horizon. “It’s getting darker; I think we should wait till morning to start looking again. There will be more ships that will come in and we can hope that one of the will take us.”

“But what if no one will take us?” Alfred asked almost desperately.

“We could always try working for money?” Matthew suggested. “Or maybe someone would be willing to forge papers for us, but that’s probably going to be expensive too.” Matthew continued to ponder to himself, absently tucking away a stray lock of blonde hair back into his hood.

“We could always sneak aboard some ship?” Alfred proposed offhandedly, purposefully not looking at his brother, knowing that he wouldn’t approve of the idea.

Matthew spun to look at his brother in disbelief. “Are you insane? You do know what they do to stowaways found on ship?” He questioned his brother. “They throw them overboard! We could be dumped off in the middle of the Fates sea and drown.”

Alfred huffed. “Well, it’s a better idea than working for more coins! Who knows how long that could take?”

“Look,” Matthew removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes tiredly. “We are both exhausted, so let’s find a cheap inn and wait till morning.”

“Fine.” Alfred agreed moodily.

Luckily for them, Matthew was able to find a cheap inn along the slowly emptying streets of the docks, costing them only two gold pieces for the night. It was in rough shape, the wood walls had aged considerably and the constant sea breeze had eroded all of the paint from the outside. The inside had fared better, though, with a massive fireplace to keep the air warm and dry, and the little homey touches added a comfy and cozy quality to the small inn.

The bedroom was small, having only a twin bed pushed against one of the walls and a tiny stand with a water basin against the other wall. A tiny window faced the water and it offered a nice view of the setting sun. Though, Alfred and Matthew paid little attention to the beautiful sunset, instead they both looked longingly at the bed and its plush pillows. While it was a tight squeeze, Alfred and Matthew were used to sharing a bed when they were children, and so, it didn’t take long for the both of them to quickly fall asleep in the comfy bed after their tiring journey and the long nights of sleeping on the, cold, hard ground.

* * *

 

Alfred couldn’t believe it, he trembled with shock at the familiar scene, it was the palace garden again. Just like his previous dream, the sun was gently shining down on all the flora and cultivated greenery. Alfred took a shaky breath in and the sweet scent of roses tickled his senses. With wobbly strides, Alfred walked down the stone path, his shoes making soft clicking noises amidst the soft songs from the birds. Making it past the hedge wall, Alfred didn’t know if he felt disappointed or relieved when he didn’t see Arthur sitting at the wrought iron table like last time. However, a flash of blonde in the corner of his eye caught his attention.

Alfred’s breath left in a great rush, and he dropped to the ground in disbelief. There tending to the Spade roses with his back turned towards him, was Arthur. His periwinkle Spade coat hanging crisply off his shoulders and his golden spun hair shifting in the wind.

“This can’t be happening.” Came Alfred’s strangled whisper.

Hearing the thump of Alfred hitting the ground, and his choked voice, Arthur spun around in surprise. Green eyes widened as he spotted Alfred crumpled and he rushed to his King’s side.

“Alfred?! I didn’t reach out for you, so what are you doing here? Why are you on the ground, are you alright?” Arthur fretted, hands hovering uncertainly, while his eyes searching for signs of injury.

With Arthur now close up, Alfred could see all the small details he loved in Arthur’s face. Blue eyes first stared at the faint sprinkle of freckles that bridge over Arthur’s nose, then moved to look at the golden flakes that would sparkle in his emerald eyes, which were framed by his adorable, bushy, eyebrows. Next, Alfred moved to look at that cute button nose then lower to stare at pink lips.

Arthur’s skin looked so soft, and Alfred couldn’t stop his hand that reached out to gently caress a cheek. “Arthur?”

Arthur froze under Alfred’s touch, but didn’t pull away “Alfred?”

Hearing Arthur’s crisp and clear accent sent Alfred over the edge and he burst out in tears. In a rapid movement, Alfred had grabbed Arthur, crushing him in a massive hug, nearly toppling them to the ground. He dug his face into Arthur’s shoulder, breathing in the familiar scent of tea, books and roses that always surrounded the Queen of Spades.

Momentarily stunned by Alfred’s actions, Arthur quickly recovered and ran a soothing hand across Alfred’s back. “Shush, love. It’s alright.”

Hearing his favourite nickname, Alfred cried harder. It took a few moments for his desperate grip on Arthur to ease up into a more tolerable hold, but Alfred still refused to move from his spot pressed against Arthur. With each gentle rub across his back, Alfred could feel himself calming down, and he took a few seconds to relish the warmth that was Arthur. Yet, even with Arthur’s comforting presence, Alfred couldn’t stop the few tears that continued to slip past. 

“No, no it’s not alright.” Alfred slowly pulled back from Arthur and water blue eyes locked onto green. “This isn’t real, is it?” His voice sounding despondent.   

“Hmm?” Arthur tilted his head in question, his face furrowing into a frown.

“This is a dream right?” Alfred pointed to their surroundings. “I mean this can’t be real.”

Arthur looked away and fidgeted tensely, seeming to be thinking hard about something. It was if he was debating his choices. “Well, Alfred. That entirely up to you.” Arthur turned back to Alfred. “This can all be real, or it can all be a dream if you want it to be.”

Alfred posture slumped, and fresh tears spilled down his face. “This has to be a dream then. Because when I wake up, you’ll be gone.” Alfred threw himself back into Arthur’s shoulder. “Arthur I don’t want you to be gone.”

With Alfred’s face buried, he missed how Arthur’s face filled with pain and his eyes clouded with guilt. “I’m sorry, love. I didn’t mean for this to happened.” Arthur whispered to himself as he ran his figures through Alfred’s hair. “I never wanted to hurt you.”

Alfred had barely caught what Arthur had whispered and Alfred turned his face to peer up at Arthur from the corner of his eye. “What?”

“Nothing, it’s nothing.” Arthur dismissed gently, continuing to run his fingers through Alfred’s hair. “But you should be resting, Alfred. Close your eyes and I’ll help you relax.”

The feeling of Arthur’s fingers running through his hair had Alfred almost falling asleep in Arthur’s embrace, but with the mention of sleep, Alfred jolted back. “No, No.” Alfred begged desperately. “If this is my dream, then I get to decide what happens. And I want to stay here with you for as long as possible.”

Arthur gave Alfred a warm smile, one that caused Alfred to blush. “Alright, Alfred.” He let out an affectionate sigh and pulled Alfred. “But lets at least get into a more comfortable position.”

Alfred nodded docilely, still stunned from seeing Arthur smile and was easily pulled to where he was now resting, with his head in Arthur’s lap. The sun was warm, working to relax Alfred further and Arthur’s fingers were heaven against Alfred’s scalp, gently pulling at his golden strands. Soon a soft rumbling stared from behind his head, and Arthur’s gentle humming filled the air, mixing with the melodies from the songbirds.

“This is so nice. I don’t want to wake, Arthur. Everything is so messed up, Spades is in shambles, Zelené has disappeared and you’re gone.” Alfred shifted, feeling his drowsiness increasing, yet he still wanted to talk to Arthur. “I want to help, I really do, but I have no idea how. Heck I can’t even find us a ship to take use to Hearts.”

Arthur stopped humming and his hand stilled on Alfred’s head as he thought, which earned him a complaining moan from Alfred. “Hmm, you need a ship to Hearts.” Arthur’s hand started to move through his hair once more, and Alfred let out an appreciative hum, but this time Alfred swore that it was even more relaxing than the first time. “Come morning there will be a ship docking, and it will give you safe passage. Look for the Belladonna.

Alfred had to struggle to keep his eyes open, and when he looked up he saw a faint blue light emitting from Arthur’s hand and the familiar tingle of magic run across his Spades mark. “The Belladonna?”

“Yes, Alfred. Remember to find a ship called The Belladonna…” Arthur’s voice was slowly drifting away. 

* * *

Alfred’s peaceful sleep was ruined when a light but persistent nudge to his side, increased in strength. Alfred let out a deep groan, trying to bury himself further into his blankets and back to his warm slumber, getting farther away from the annoying prodding.

“Alfred, are you awake?” Matthew’s garbled voice sounded near Alfred’s ear.

“Nooo.” Alfred whined and tighten his hold on his warm pillow.

The pillow that Alfred was smothering shifted. “I’m sorry to wake you, but Alfred I really need you to let go. You’re suffocating me.” Matthew pleaded, while gently pulling on Alfred’s arm that was wrapped around his neck.

“Shoot, sorry.” Alfred quickly loosened his hold, and shuffled away from his brother.

Still not being fully awake, Alfred forget that he was currently sleeping on a small bed. So with one more scooch backwards, he tumbled off the edge, in a mess of tangled sheets and failing limbs. Alfred landed with a hard thump on the ground, all his sleepy thoughts quickly leaving his mind as he rubbed his throbbing elbow.

“Ow.” Alfred moaned and squinted at his brother’s blurry face looking down at him from the bed.

“Well,” Matthew let out a sigh. “You’re definitely awake now.” He reached down to help his brother off the floor, and offered Alfred his glasses.

“Thanks.” Alfred thanked his brother as he inspected his already bruising elbow as he sat on the edge of the bed. He was too focused on his own injury to notice how intensely Matthew was looking at him.

“Are you alright?” Matthew concern was evident, but his question was hesitant.

Alfred turned to his brother and chuckled at Matthew’s mother hen tendencies. “It was just a bump, nothing serious at all. At most it’s going to give me a wicked bruise.”

“I wasn’t talking about that.” Matthew fidgeted with the edge of the bed sheet, considering if he should continue. “You were crying in your sleep. I debated if I should wake you, because you looked really upset, but then you grabbed me and seemed to calm down.” Matthew paused and looked at Alfred. “You keep repeating Arthur’s name.”

Alfred froze on the bed as the memory of his dream came rushing back. “It really was just a dream.” He mumbled to himself miserably.

Matthew looked at his brother with concern. “Look, I know you don’t like talking about this stuff, but if you want to I’m here.” He reached out to gently take his brother’s hand. “You can talk to me, Alfred.”

Alfred jolted at the soft touch and jerked his hand out of Matthew’s grip. “It’s fine, I’m fine.”

“Alfred, I-”

“I said I’m fine.” Alfred glared at his brother, angry at his prodding. But when he saw the hurt flash across Matthew’s face his anger quickly faded and he sighed with guilt. Noting the brightness of the room, Alfred stood and made his way to the door. “The sun's getting pretty high up, we should probably head out soon if we don’t want to miss any of the ships.”

“Ya, ok.” Matthew gave a small nod and watched his brother quickly leave the room.

Both Alfred and Matthew, wrapped up in their cloaks, were able to grab a few fruits from the local market to much on as the went back to wander the docks. It seemed that waiting till morning had been a good idea, as there were even more ships moored at the docks then when they last saw at night. However, two both of their disappointment, they were met with the same response as before; either the ship wasn’t taking passengers, or they needed papers to board.

With the sun slowly reaching it’s peak in the sky, the air had become hot and Alfred and Matthew had decided to take a quick break, resting against some wooden boxes in the shade. Alfred let out a weary sigh and wiped away the sweat that had accumulated underneath his hood.       

“This isn’t working.” Matthew let out his own frustrated sigh, and shook at his cloak as it had started to stick to him uncomfortably. “I think we are going to have to travel to Hearts by land with they way things are looking here.”

Alfred shook his head in determination, not willing to lose hope. “There has to be a ship that will take us. We have already wasted too much time getting here, so I’m not giving up.”

“But Al,” Matthew looked at his brother underneath his hood. “We have literally asked every ship.” He then turned and eyed a group of Club soldiers that wander pass and turned down a side road. “I fear that if we stick around for much long it’s going to raise suspicion.”

“No,” Alfred fixed his determined glare onto his brother. “There has to be a ship.”

Matthew rolled his eyes at his brother’s stubborn behavior and let the conversation die off, knowing that it was pointless to try and convince Alfred. The both sat in silence and slowly looked at their surroundings, the only sounds being the soft beat of wave against the wooden mooring that matched with cries of gulls from overhead.

It was sharp yelling that drew Alfred’s attention, it was a group of men leaving their ship and heading towards the market. He didn’t pay much attention to who the people were, only catching that the people leaving were getting goods to take to Hearts, but instead focused on the ship itself. It was a galleon, its three masts stood tall, with its white sails neatly tied up. The wood was a rich, deep brown with gold and blue painted on the railings and there was a beautiful mermaid carved as the figurehead. The cannons duly gleamed in the afternoon sunlight, and Alfred could help but stare at the magnificent ship.

Alfred nudged his brother in the side and pointed down the dock. “What about that one? It looks like it just docked, and I heard that it’s going to Hearts.”

Matthew stretched his body to see around his brother and let out an appreciative hum. “It’s certainly an impressive galleon.”

It was strange but Alfred felt a tingle race down his Spades mark as he continued to stare at the ship and his eye was drawn towards the stern, seeking the name of the galleon; what he saw caused his eyes to go wide and his previous dream came racing back.

“The Belladonna…” Alfred trailed off in disbelief. “That can’t be, it’s impossible.”

“What?” Matthew looked up confused at his brother’s mumbling.

“That ship,” Alfred ignored his brother’s confusion and pointed excitedly, jumping off the wooden crate and tugged his brother to follow. “We need to get on that ship, Mattie.”

Matthew dug his heels into the ground to prevent himself from being dragged off. “What’s going on, Al?.” He managed to pull his arm from his brother’s grasp. “What’s so special about that particular ship?”

Alfred awkward shifted back and forth on his feet. “Look, I can’t really explain it, cause you would never believe me. But please, just trust me on this.” Alfred clasped his hands in front of his face to beg at his brother.

Matthew frowned at his brother’s accusation, a bit hurt that his brother is keeping something from him, but still decided to go along with his brother’s whim. “Fine, let's go look for one of the crew members so we can see if they’ll give us passage.”

Alfred frowned at Matthew’s suggestion, and he narrowed his eyes as he searched over the Belladonna. He noticed that there were only a few crew members left standing near the ship, but they seemed too preoccupied with checking over some of the cargo that had been delivered.

Alfred turned back to his brother and shook his head. “No, we’re not asking for permission this time.” He gestured the two crewmen left on the dock. “Look, there is only a couple of people keeping watch and they're not paying attention. I bet we can easily sneak aboard without anyone noticing.”

Matthew eyes widened in shock that turned to a glare of displeasure. “Alfred! You know what I think about that plan!”

Alfred let out an impatient sigh. “We are desperate, bro. You know as well as I do that no one is going to let us on board without papers. So we gotta take matters into our own hands.”

“I don’t agree with this.”

“You can disagree all you want. But I’m getting on that ship.” Alfred started towards the Belladonna and looked over his shoulder to give his brother his ultimatum. “You can either come with me or not.”       

Matthew fidgeted nervously before letting out a groan and raced to catch up to his brother’s fast strides. When he managed to catch Alfred he whispered in his ear, “If we get thrown into the Fates Sea, then I’m going to personally drown you.”

Alfred let out a mischievous grin and gave a reassuring pat to his brother’s shoulder. “Knew I could could on you.”

As Alfred and Matthew approached the ship, they stuck to the shadows, sneaking behind wooden crates and other various cargo, slinking forwarded when the two crew members turned their backs. The Belladonna was quiet, with most of her crewmembers off on land and it made sneaking on board a relatively easy matter, much to Matthew’s relief. After a fast scramble up the plank, Alfred and Matthew rushed towards the wooden doors of the cargo hold. Luckily for them, the wooden grated doors were already pushed open, most likely in preparation for more cargo to be loaded, and the brother’s quickly descended the stairs and disappeared into the depths of the ship.

After a quick tug on his sleeve and a whispered hiss to focus from his brother, Alfred quelled his desire to explore the ship and instead focused on finding a good hiding spot. They both made their way deeper into the hold and Matthew found a nook hidden behind some large wooden crates that would be perfect to hide them from sight. It took only a few moments of rearranging the boxes and some wiggling that both Alfred and Matthew, and their small travel bags, had settled in the tight spot, tucked out of sight, and relatively comfortable.

Even in the dark, Matthew could see the sunny smile his brother sent his way. “See, everything is fine.” Alfred tone was smug. “Now all we have to do is wait until we arrive at Hearts.”

Matthew rolled his eyes at Alfred, even though he knew his brother probably couldn’t see the gesture. “Ya, this is great.” Matthew shrugged his cloak off and bunched it up to sit on, trying to make his spot more comfortable. “Its cramped, dark and musty. Not to mention we only have a few scraps of food from our market purchases and our half empty water skins.”

“I’m sure there is some stuff down here we can scavenge from.” Alfred replied, always optimistic, as he tried to peek into some of the surrounding crates.

“You had better hope that there is.” Matthew mumbled.

“Hey, cheer up.” Alfred nudged his brother’s side, causing Matthew to wince at the force behind it. “By getting on a ship we are finally one step closer to Hearts.”

Matthew only hummed in response and settled back, getting ready for the long journey.

It took around another hour till Alfred and Matthew heard shouting overhead, orders being handed out to load up and get ready to head out. Footsteps thudded above and Alfred scooted forward to look out of the small crack in between the crates. People hurried about, some carrying other crates, others gathering supplies to get ready to set sail, while it seemed a chaotic mess to Alfred, everyone seemed to know what was required of them. Before long, the Belladonna was gently rocking back and forth as she made her way away from port and off into the Fates Sea.

* * *

It was hard to tell, being stuck down in the cargo hold, but Alfred had guessed that a couple of days had passed since they had left the port city, Araimore. The first day had been pretty rough for Matthew, who suffered from seasickness. While Alfred enjoyed the soft rocking of the ship, it had turned his brother’s face green and made Matthew stomach roll. Food and drink were not an issue on the first day, with Matthew struggling to keep his stomach settled, but as the time passed, Alfred noticed how empty his water skin felt and how sad their strips of salted meat and two apples looked. Shifting his cloak once more and bunching it up into a pillow, Alfred leaned back against the wooden wall and shut his eyes, knowing that the food issue could wait till after he had a nap.

It felt like he wasn’t asleep for more than five minutes till he started to feel sharp tugging on his sleeve.

“Al, wake up. Al!” Matthew’s frantic voice sounded in Alfred’s ear.

Alfred let out a groan as shifted his numb tailbone and tried to settle back into a comfortable spot. “Wassit matter. Just let me sleep.”

“Al!” Matthew hissed and gave a sharp jab to his brother’s side.

“Ow! What was that-” Alfred jolted awake to yell at his brother but stopped short as two unfamiliar faces looked down at him.

While it was hard to see well in the dim lighting of the hold, Alfred froze as he looked up at the two men who had found their hiding spot. The taller one has short, light blonde hair, with a white Cross barrette pinning back a few strands. His cloudy, azure eyes were alight with a dangerous fire as he smirked down. The other man was slightly shorter, his silver-grey hair looked thoroughly windblown, his eyes were deep blue and looked completely bored with the situation. What was strange with the shorter man, though, was the odd looking bird attached to his shoulder that squawked at them loudly.  

The man with the light blonde hair smirked wider at Alfred’s fearful expression and his azure eyes sharpened as he leaned further into their space. “Well, well, well. What do we have here?”

“Oh shit.” Alfred whispered.


	20. It's not always smooth sailing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for this one being on the shorter side, schools getting to be more demanding and I didn't want to leave you guys waiting for too long.
> 
> I need to know what goes through my professors mind, like why do all my classes want me to write essays. They're boring to write, so they gotta be boring to read.
> 
> Also sorry for any mistakes, I may like to write but grammar is going to kill me one of these days.
> 
> Feel free to drop a comment or a kudos,  
> And as usual, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy! :D

Alfred barely had any time to process the situation before he was roughly grabbed by his shirt and dragged over the crates separating him and Matthew from the two men that found them. His knees banged loudly as he was thrown to the floor, and his head smacked against the wooden planks causing Alfred to see stars. Another thud could be heard as Matthew was treated to the same rough treatment, the violet eyed brother giving out a pained groan as he landed hard on his elbow.

Hearing Matthew’s injured cry, Alfred tried to push himself off the floor, to protect his brother. But the air was knocked out of his chest as a heavy boot slammed into his chest pinning him to the floor. The man with the cross barrette in his hair leaned heavily on his foot, increasing the pressure on Alfred’s chest, while continuing to smirk down at Alfred.

“I reckon we found a couple of stowaways, Emil.” The azure eyed man turned to his companion and gave him a devilish grin. “And do you know what we do with stowaways?”

“I don’t care, Lukas.” Emil said, looking completely bored with the situation, and instead chose to play with the black and white bird on his shoulder as he loomed over Matthew.

Lukas rolled his eyes at Emil and turned back to Alfred, leaning down further, his grin widening. “We throw ‘em overboard.”

“No.” Matthew sobbed.

Hearing Matthew soft cry, Alfred tried to struggle free but the boot remained firmly placed on his chest, even pushing down harder under the wiggling.  “Please, don’t.” Alfred wheezed out as he breath was further pushed out. “We are just trying to get to Hearts. We just-” Alfred was cut off has the boot slammed down into his chest again.

“Silence!” Lukas shouted as he stomped down on Alfred. “I don’t want to hear any of your beggin’, it’s annoying.”

“Easy, Lukas.” Emil calmly spoke as he focused on his agitated friend. “You don’t get to decide these boys’ fates; It’ll be the captain.”

Lukas leaned back to pout at Emil. “You’re no fun, Emil.” Emil only raised his eyebrow at the jibe and Lukas let out a resigned sigh. “Fine, we’ll take ‘em to the captain.”

Lukas’ boot slid off Alfred’s chest, and Alfred was only able to suck in a quick breath of air as it all rushed out again in a pained hiss. With a surprising amount of strength, Lukas had grabbed Alfred’s wrist at an awkward angle and wrenched his arm forward, dragged Alfred off the ground. Alfred tried to struggle away from the bruising grip but it only tightened further as his arm was yanked behind his back and bent upwards at an impossible angle. Matthew however, seemed to have fared better with Emil letting the trembling violet-eyed brother stand without violence, yet a firm hand was placed on Matthew’s shoulder to deter any struggling.

Alfred and Matthew were herded towards the stairs leading upwards towards the deck. Alfred had to pause when he was brought into the open air of the deck, and he shut his eyes against the blinding sun; his body not used to the bright light after being stuck in the murky hold for so long. However, a harsh shove forwards by Lukas, who grumbled to hurry up, caused Alfred to stumbling into walking forward again.

“You don’t have to be so rough.” Alfred grumbled and uselessly shifted his arm, hoping to relive some of the painful tension.

“Shut it, and keep walking.” Lukas snarled and gave a harsh shove out of spite.

Alfred got ready to snap back at Lukas. He pulled against the iron grip on his wrist despite the pain, and had an insult on the tip of his tongue, but stopped short when a looming shadow blocked out the sun. Glancing upwards, Alfred froze under the impassive gaze looking down on him. The man’s light, blond hair shifted in the ocean breeze and his teal colored eyes stared cold and calculating at Alfred and Matthew from behind thin wired frames. His dark aura matched his black vest and dark trousers, and the long cutlass added to his menacing presence.       

Teal eyes flicked upwards. “What is going on here, Lukas?”

Lukas just huffed at the imposing figure. “Relax, Berwald. We just found some extra cargo aboard, and we were going to bring them to the captain.”

Berwald gaze shifted back to Alfred and Matthew, eyes analyzing, before giving a grunt and stepped out of the way. “Captain is at the helm. But you had better finish the job I gave you after this.”

“Ya, ya.” Lukas agreed and rolled his eyes at Berwald’s pestering.

Noticing Lukas slight distraction, and slightly looser grip, Alfred took his chance and yanked his one arm downwards while jabbing his other elbow backwards. A pained ‘oof’ sounded behind Alfred and Lukas’ grip completely fell away. Spinning around quickly, Alfred went to reach for his brother when a crushing grasp dug into his shoulder, sending him to his knees in pain.

“Behave.” Berwald cold voice sounded in Alfred’s ear.

Watching Alfred’s face scrunched up in pain, Matthew felt his own anger replace his fear and he leapt to his brother’s defense, pushing away from Emil. “No, stop it! Don’t hurt him!” Matthew brought his fist back ready to take a swing at Berwald. 

A resounding gunshot echoed throughout the air, freezing the starting scuffle and all eyes swiveled to the source of the sound. On the upper deck, with his gun still raised in the air, stood the captain. His blood red, velvet coat cut a striking figure, with the golden buttons sparkling under the sunlight. Underneath the heavy coat was a white blouse, loosely fitting and showing off the hard muscles of his chest. Multiple sashes were tied at his waist and amidst the silky bands were two more pistols stashed away, along with a sheathed cutlass. On his head rested a large black hat, with burgundy ostrich feathers that shifted in the ocean breeze, and a few tufts of blond hair poked out from underneath.

“Well, now that I have your attention,” Deep blue eyes gazed down inquisitively at the group of men. “What, in the name of the Divines, is going on?”

“Lukas and Emil found some extra cargo when I asked them to take stock of our supplies.” Berwald gestured to Alfred who was still kneeling on the deck and Matthew who was struggling to get away from Emil again. “They are a little bit of a handful, but nothing I can’t handle, captain.”

“I was doing  _ just _ fine handling them till you distracted me.” Mumbled Lukas, who rubbed his sore stomach and glared down at Alfred as he went to help Emil restrain Matthew.

The captain face twisted into a thoughtful frown as he made his way down from the upper deck, his leather boots thudding ominously against the wooden stairs. “Extra cargo, eh? How unfortunate, I didn’t plan for extra cargo. It will weigh us down.”

“Please sir,” Alfred groaned as he twisted to face the approaching captain, his knees protesting their position on the hard planks, but unable to stand under Berwald’s hand. “We didn’t mean any harm. I swear we haven’t touched or taken anything. We just want-.

“And how do I know that you haven’t taken anything, hm?” The captain rubbed his chin in mock contemplation. “How do I know you’re not thieves?”

“I’m telling you we didn’t-” Alfred tried to explain but was cut off instantly.

“So if not thieves, then what about criminals?” The captain slowly walked to stand in front of Alfred. “There’s got to be a reason for you to run from Spades.”

Alfred’s eyes widened. “We’re not running from anything. I-”

The captain waved his hand, dismissing Alfred before he finished. “It doesn’t really matter who or what you are, because I really don’t care.” He leaned down to smirk at Alfred. “You two are stowaways, and that’s two too many in my books. Throw them overboard.”

“No! Wait, please.” Alfred struggled as he was yanked to his feet and pushed towards the edge of the ship.

Matthew and Alfred fought against their captors, their feet skidding uselessly against the deck as they were shoved closer and closer to the railing of the ship. Alfred lashed out backwards, throwing all his weight into his struggling, but Berwald’s grip held firm. Soon, Alfred and Matthew were bracing their feet against the wooden railing, the last obstacle separating them from the chilling ocean waters below.

Many of the crew members who were on the deck stopped to watch, some jeering at Alfred and Matthew as they were dragged past, while other cheered them on, hoping to see a fight break out. The captain stood indifferently and watched the scene play out with a cold gaze. Yet, a soft voice made him waver in his decision. 

“They're just kids, Mathias.” The gentle voice sounded beside him.

Mathias turned to look at the ship’s doctor. He was a small man, just shy of reaching above shoulder height with soft, short, blond hair. He almost seemed delicate in comparison to the burly men of most of his crew, but Mathias knew he could pack a punch when he was angry. Normally, the smaller man had a gentle and peaceful appearance, but now his normal smile was turned into a frown and he shifted nervously. 

“It’s not my problem, Tino.” Mathias mumbled to the doctor.

“You don’t have to do this, though.” Tino beseeched and gasped when he watched Berwald lift Alfred in the air in preparation to throw the boy overboard.

Despite his struggling Alfred felt his body tugged into the air and soon he was dangling precariously over the edge of the ship, his legs now kicking uselessly in the air. Lukas, however, was having a tougher time getting Matthew over the railing who was now desperately clinging to Emil. The strange black and white bird circled above it’s master’s head, letting out loud squawks that added to the commotion. 

The wind whipped up a few drop of water and Alfred eyed the cold water below. “Dammit! We just want to go to Heart, please!” Alfred yelled in frustration.  

Lukas let out a huff of annoyance as he tugged one of Matthew’s arm off Emil’s waist. “What’s so important about Hearts?” He mumbled under his breath and got started on Matthew’s other arm.

“Because,” Matthew whispered desperately, his face buried into Emil’s back as he clung to the man. “We just want to save Spades.”

“Wait,” Emil called out at hearing Matthew’s murmur. Both Lukas and Berwald halting their progress of removing the two stowaways. “What did you say, boy?”

“We want to save Spades.” Came Matthew’s weak reply.

Lukas gave the shaking boy a scrutinizing eye. “So, you looking to join up with the Aces then?”

“The Aces?” Matthew echoed back in confusion and raised his head. 

“Yes, the Aces.” Lukas gestured vaguely with his hands like it was going to explain everything, but with Matthew’s puzzled look, he elaborated further. “The renegade fighters that are joining up at Hearts to fight back against Clubs.”

Matthew gaze quickly switch from Lukas to Berwald and Alfred then back to Lukas, his mind trying to come up with the best answer. “Yes,” Matthew made sure his voice was firm and full of conviction to make it seem believable. “Yes, we are.”

Alfred’s face scrunched up in confusion, his body still hanging over the edge of the ship. “We are?”

“Yes.” Matthew glared at his brother, hoping he’d get the message and agree.

Alfred’s eyes widened in realization of what Matthew was trying to do and quickly nodded in agreement. “Ya, we wanna be a part of the Aces.”

“Well, why didn’t you say so in the beginning! You could have saved us all of this trouble.” Lukas exhaled angrily and let out a shout to Mathias. “Yo, captain. This kids are joining up with the Aces.”

Mathias raised an eyebrow in surprise and let a happy grin spread across his face, glad that the two boys wouldn’t have to be thrown overboard. “Hell, that was a close call then. I don’t need to be drowning anyone that wants to support the cause.” He made his way over to Matthew and clasped the weary blonde’s shoulder in a reassuring grasp, while waving at Berwald who still had Alfred in the air. “For Divine sakes, man. Put the poor kid down before you drop him.”

Berwald let out a grunt and gently set Alfred down but cold blue eyes continued to stare at Alfred. “Why were you hiding in the hold then?”

“We uh,” Alfred shifted nervously under the hard stare of Berwald. “We didn’t know that this ship was offering passage for the Aces.” He shrugged, sheepishly, hoping his lie was enough to convince the tall man.

The deck was silent for a few, tense moments before Berwald lifted up his unimpressed face to glare at Mathias. “I told you that you made the symbol to small.”

“Symbol?” Matthew and Alfred questioned at the same time and looked to the captain for an answer but Mathias was too busy glaring back at Berwald.

“Well, it’s not like we could make a banner saying we take renegade fighters aboard. Clubs soldiers would have arrested us as soon as we docked.” Mathias snapped at his crewmate.

“But I told you, the little etching on the railing wasn’t enough.” Berwald wearily replied.

“Well, I think it’s fine how it is.” Mathias pouted stubbornly. “It show’s off my artistic talent.”

“It’s obviously not fine, and it’s hardly artistic.”

“Not, Artistic?!” Mathias gasped. “You wouldn’t know artistic if it hit you in the face.”

“That’s not-”

Matthew and Alfred just looked at each other in confusion, getting lost in the increasingly heated argument between the two men. It was a soft tap to Alfred’s shoulder that drew their attention to the small blonde doctor now standing beside them.

“You can see the symbol right there.” Tinos calmly pointed to a small etched design in the railing closest to the boarding plank. It was a simple spade carved into the wood, with a capital ‘A’ in its center. “It’s like a secret calling card for the Aces and it's used to help identify allies and safe houses all throughout Cards.”

Both Matthew and Alfred nodded in understanding, but their attention was soon drawn back to the two fighting men, who looked ready to throw fits.

“Are they alright?” Matthew questioned in concern.

“Oh, don’t worry about them. I swear they do this every day.” Tino waved dismissively. “Mathias is our captain and a really good one at that, but he can be rather childish at times. Hence, the reason I think he made Berwald his first mate. Berwald is a hard worker and very strict and it keeps Mathias in line.” He then gave the two brothers a smile and extended his hand. “My name’s Tino, and it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Oh, right!” Mathias exclaimed, completely ignoring what Berwald had just yelled and jumped over to where Tino was. “Now that we have this whole situation settled, I need to know names!”

Alfred was just about to speak before his brother cut him off. “I’m Mat and this is my brother, Alex.”

“Wha-” Alfred words were cut off with a pained hiss as his brother subtly pinched his side. Alfred gave a pouting glare at his brother but when along with Matthew ruse. “Yep, I’m Alex.”

Mathias shared a funny look with Tino but shrugged off the blonde's strange behavior. “Alrighty boys. As much as I would like to say make yourselves at home. This won’t be a free ride.” He raised an eyebrow in challenge. “You’re going to have to help out around here. Are you up for the challenge?”

“That’s fine with me.” Alfred just grinned back, eager to get to Hearts.


	21. It's a pirates life for me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew, these past few weeks have been absolute hectic with essays, midterms and assignments. But, thankfully my reading week gave me some time to write. 
> 
> Sorry if there is more spelling mistakes than normal, I am literally editing this in the back of my car as my family is driving back home.
> 
> Feel free to drop a comment or a kudos,  
> And as usual, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy! :D

The afternoon sun was shining down, harshly, on the open water of the Fates Sea. The bow of the Belladonna was cleanly slicing through the small waves, sending up sparkling droplets of water in her spray. A strong, fortuitous West wind had picked up a few days ago, and with only being a week into their journey, the Belladonna was making good time on her travels to Hearts. 

Alfred had originally been frightened when his brother and him were discovered, fearing that they would be thrown overboard. Now, as he balanced on the wooden yard of the main mast, checking over the rigging with the deck far below, he would say that being discovered was probably the best thing that could have happened to them. Even if he did hate having to lie about his identity to the crew. Taking a pause from his work, Alfred straightened up and let the cool breeze ruffle his blonde hair, enjoying how the damp salty breeze felt against his hot skin.

Mathias wasn’t kidding when he said that the boys would have to help out, and in the next few days, both Matthew and Alfred were run ragged. The work was tough, but Alfred enjoyed having something to do. Even some of the crew had started to warm up to the two brothers. While Berwald looked intimidating, Alfred had discovered that the first mate was actually very patient and easy to talk to. Berwald would always make sure that Alfred and Matthew knew what to do and would calmly answer any question they had. It took Lukas a few days to warm up to the brother’s, but even his prickly nature was no match to Alfred’s cheery disposition and Matthew’s sweet nature. Lukas would often challenge Alfred to little games or competitions with the loser having to do the other’s chores. Emil was the quietest out of the bunch, but he always offered a helping hand when he noticed Alfred or Matthew struggling. Emil also introduced the brothers to Mr. Puffin, his parrot, even letting Alfred hold the squawking bird, much to the blued eyed man’s delight. Mathias was often too busy to sit and chat with Alfred and Matthew during the day, but during meal times he would provide endless entertainment with his outrageous stories and endless excitement. Tino was the calmest and nicest out of the bunch, and Alfred could understand why most of the crewmembers called him their mother with how he would fuss over everyone’s well being.

The sun was sweltering at midday, and while Alfred skin was able to handing the constant sun, changing into a nice tan, the hot sun added to the strenuous climbing up and down the masts caused Alfred to work up quite a sweat. Checking one last rope, Alfred let out a sigh of relieve and began his descent towards the deck, looking forward to his break and lunch. Deciding to skip the last few rungs of rope, Alfred jumped and landed with a thud on the deck. 

“Nice work, Alex.” Lukas clapped Alfred on the back.

The smaller blonde was just as sweaty as Alfred, his damp hair pushed out of his face with his cross barrette, his bare chest glistening under the harsh sunlight. Lukas had been tasked with looking at the other mast’s rigging, but years of practice had made him much more efficient at the job. The continuous running up and down the rigging of the Belladonna had carved out the muscles in the smaller man’s chest and arms.

"Thanks." Alfred smile in appreciation, letting the small twinge of guilt at hearing Lukas using his fake name recede to the back of his mind. "I'm just glad you decided to help out. I thought I was going to die of heat." Alfred fanned his sticky shirt off his chest.

Lukas gave a hearty laugh. "It's not like we have a dress code aboard the ship, Alex." He gestured to his own state of undress, then to Alfred's sweat ridden shirt. "Your shirt isn't helping with the heat."

"Oh," Alfred's blue eyes widened with realization behind his glasses, and he let out a boisterous laugh. "Why didn't I think of that." Alfred reached for the bottom of his shirt and started to tug it upwards.

Light footsteps echoed across the deck, coming from someone acceding from below deck, and soon Matthew's light blonde hair appeared as he emerged from the hull. He quickly searched the deck looking for his brother to tell him the good news that lunch was ready when he stopped in fear as he saw Alfred and Lukas together. With a surprising amount off speed, Matthew sprang into action, running the short distance to his brother and grabbed Alfred's shirt to keep it in place.

"Whoa!" Alfred explained as his brother all but ran into his side, he staggered a bit under the unexpected weight and turned to his brother with wide eyes "What's going on, Mat?!"

Lukas also surprised by Matthew mad dash cocked his head in confusion. "Ya, Mat is there something wrong."

Matthew rapidly shook his head. "No, no." He turned and glared at Alfred. "There's nothing wrong."

"Then why did you plough into me?" Alfred remained oblivious to his brother’s angry glare.

"I uh-" Matthew shifted uncertainly and sent a quick glance in Lukas' direction. "I um, wanted to tell you that lunch was ready."

Alfred's blue eyes lit up in excitement. "Really!? Sweet!" He gave a fist bump as he started to walk towards the galley. "Let's go you guys I'm starving."

Matthew let out a suffering sigh and grabbed Alfred's collar, giving him another glare while holding him back, and turned to Lukas. "You better go first or else Alex here will eat everything."

Lukas gave the brothers a funny look but eventually nodded his head in confirmation. "Hmhm."

Alfred whined in Matthew's grip wanting to go eat, but Matthew held firm and waited until Lukas disappeared below deck before he rounded on his brother. 

"What do you think you were doing!?" Matthew hissed at his brother in a low whisper.

"What?" Alfred looked at his brother in shock, finally noticing how angry Matthew was. "What did I do?"

"What did you do!?" Matthew had to resist the urge to hit his brother over the head for being so oblivious. "You almost took off your shirt."

"So?" Alfred pouted under Matthew's wrath. "I was hot, and it's not that big of a deal."

Matthew let his hand slap loudly against his forehead. "But it is a big deal, or have you forgotten that you have a huge tattoo across your back marking you as the King of Spades?"

"Oh," Alfred sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. "I kinda forgot about that. Sorry, bro."

Matthew simply rolled his violet eyes at his brother. "Just be more careful next time, ok? He looked up and saw Alfred pouting at his scolding.

"But is it really that important to keep who we are a secret?" Alfred asked quietly. "The crew on the Belladonna seem like nice people. I hate lying to them, Mattie."

"We don't know who these people are, Al." Matthew captured his brother’s gazes, hoping to press the importance of the situation. "Your safety is of the greatest importance here, and I know you don't like lying to people, but this is our best option."

"Kay." Alfred nodded, unhappily.

Noticing Alfred’s downed mood, Matthew nudged his brother's shoulder towards the stairs leading to the hull. "Come on, I made lunch and I know that you are hungry."

Alfred gave a small smile to his brother. "You always know how to cheer me up."

* * *

 

Boisterous laughing, and loud chatter surrounded the dining quarters in the hull. A mouthwatering smell wafted from the galley as Toris helped to distribute the meal that Matthew had cooked. While Alfred was a natural when learning the more physically demanding jobs aboard the Belladonna, Matthews meals had become a crew favourite, and soon the violet eyed man had been nominated as the unofficial cook of the ship. Matthew silently thank Mrs. Jones for all the baking lessons, glad that he could stay out of the sun and let his brother to all the hard and sweaty work. Soon the chatter slowed down and was replaced with sounds of cutlery clinking against plates and the occasional hmmm of enjoyment.

Toris brought some bowls over to the middle table where Alfred, Matthew, Berwald, Lukas, Emil and Mathias were sitting. The captain was in the middle of telling one of his outrageous stories, moving his arms in erratic gestures to increase the drama, and nearly hitting a scowling Lukas in the face. Toris had to hold back a chuckle at how bored the rest of the crew looked listen to Mathias' outrageously tall tale, probably for the fifth time now, while Matthew and Alfred listen in fascination.

"Sorry to interrupt, captain." Tiny smiled politely to Mathias before siding the bowls onto the table. "But I brought over everyone's lunch."

"Oh?" Mathias pouted at the interruption but lightened up when a bowl of stew was presented before him. "It's not a problem, Tino." 

"Wow!" Lukas exclaimed, as he shovelled a bit into his mouth. "Nice job again, Mat!"

Mathias took a bit as well and moaned in delight. "Ya, I think we should replace Lukas and hire Mat full time."

Lukas let out a low growl and seconds later a spoon was chucked through the air heading straight towards Mathias's head. The captain deftly dodged Lukas's thrown spoon and grinned maliciously at the rigger. With lightning fast speed Mathias reached out and scooped a large portion from Lukas's bowl into his mouth.

Lukas sputtered in rage. "Hey! Keep your dirty paws off my food!"

Mathias shrugged innocently. "I figured you were done since you got rid of your spoon."

"Why you little!" 

Lukas looked ready to leap over the table and strangle Mathias, till Tino handed over his spoon to Lukas, saying that he would share with Berwald. Lukas settled down after that, however he kept muttering to himself about their stupid captain.

Matthew let out a small chuckle at the strange interactions among the crew, but was overall pleased with how his cooking skills were received. "I’m glad you guys like it; I’m just trying to do my part. But, I will admit it’s hard to keep coming up with new ideas, your food stocks are kinda low."

Now it was Alfred's turn to pause in his eating, head cocking in confusion. "Didn’t you just stock up at the port in Spades?"

"Yes and no." Emil supplied quietly. 

"What do you mean by yes and no?" Matthew asked.

"Well," Berwald started in a gruff tone. "As you know the Belladonna isn’t exactly the biggest supporter of Clubs' tyranny, and we have been known to cause some trouble for intercepting Clubs trading vessels."

"Ya," Mathias interrupted to nudge Alfred's side. "They call us pirates but we prefer the term privateers."

"Anyways," Berwald glared at Mathias for the interruption. "Whenever we dock at a port we like to avoid stirring up too much trouble, so it's normally a quick in and out to get what we need. But, there was a big blue flash in the sky a couple of days back and now everyone having a fit thinking that the King of Spades is back. Even though we just dock, when we saw all the guards swarming  Araimore , we thought it was best to leave a bit earlier to avoid any issues. So, where were only able to get part of our supplies."

"The King of Spades is back?" Alfred asked hesitantly and ignoring the warning look that his brother gave him.

"Well, that’s the rumour anyways." Berwald shrugged. "Whatever it may be, it's certainly got the Clubs soldiers riled up. 

"Do you really think he’s back, Berwald?" Tino questioned hopefully.

"You never know." Berwald smiled down at Tino. "If Clubs is so worried then it might be possible."

A loud scoff drew Alfred’s attention to the captain. "Who cares?" Mathias grumbled and stabbed at a cooked potato that was floating in his stew. 

Alfred frowned at Mathias. "You don’t want the King of Spades back?"

"I honestly could care less if the King of Spades decided to return or not." Mathias slammed down his cutlery and stood from the table. "He never helped when he was here, and he didn’t help when Spades was attack, so why would he return and help now?” He shook his head with a frown. “But that doesn't matter, what does is that he's just one person and one person can't make a difference. All he’s doing is causing problems for the rest of us."

Mathias grabbed his dirty dishes and throw them into a wash bucket before he left the dining quarters. Alfred watched the captain walk by him, leather and metal clinking against each other with each of his steps, and Alfred shrunk down guiltily as he saw a dark scowl settle on Mathias's face.

Alfred looked down at the rest of his stew sitting at the bottom of his bowl, suddenly losing his appetite. Instead, it felt like his stomach had twisted up into tight knots, and he pushed his bowl away with a frown. The conversations echoing in the dining quarters had started up again; Emil and Lukas discussing some of the finer points of marksmanship, while Matthew explained how to use spices with Berwald. However, Alfred could barely make out what the others were saying, his hands felt clammy as they bunched into tight fists and his breaths came in short puffs.

Alfred was stunned by Mathias's reaction to the idea that the King of Spades might be back, that ‘ _ he _ ’ was back to help Spades. The captain was normally such an easygoing and carefree man, for him to have such a negative reaction had really shocked Alfred. It's true that Alfred didn't really do much as King, but he was still learning, and yes he wasn't there for when Spades was attacked, but he wouldn't have left if he knew that such a disaster was going to occur. But, Mathias was right when he said that Alfred was just one person, and the more Alfred thought about it the more he started to doubt himself. Could one person really take on the entirety of Clubs? He barely had ten years of being a king under his belt, would that be enough?

Tino watched with a critical eye as Alfred's expression rapidly descend into a worrying frown. The young man seemed to tense more every second, and a light shine a sweat dotted Alfred's forehead.

Tino moved to sit beside Alfred and laid a gentle hand on the lad’s shoulder. "Don’t listen to what Mathias says, Alex. He gets grumpy when we are low on rum."

"But what if he's right?" Alfred mumbled uncertainty. "How can one person change anything."

"Well, that depends on the person, Alex."

"But you don’t even know who the King is. I – um, he left his kingdom for years, he abandoned his people, and when they need him the most, he wasn’t there." Alfred lifted his face, his gaze searching Tino's. "How does that sound like someone who can help Spades?"

"It doesn’t matter what happened in the past, Alex." Tino gripped the lad shoulder tighter, and give it a little shake. "What matters is the here and now. All the people struggling today, they don’t care if the King wasn’t there during the collapse of Spades, what they care about is change. They are, we all are, waiting for someone to stand up against Clubs, and fight back."

"But he’s just one person." Alfred whispered.

"And sometimes that’s all you need. I don’t know about you, but when I listened to the people in  Araimore  talking about the return of their King, there was hope. Whether he knows it or not, the King of Spade is acting as rallying cry, people are uniting under that single hope.” Tino gave Alfred a knowing look. “It was the Fates that chose him as King and he should trust in the Fates decision." 

"But I-”

Tino shook his head and cut Alfred off. "Just think about it, Alex." He then stood and collected the empty bowls from the tables and began to shoo the rest of the crew back to their jobs. Tino had to get back to his own work, but he wanted to have a quick word with Mathias before the man got too busy and quickly left for the captain’s quarters. 

A few groans could be heard from a few of the tables, the hot sun and hard labor was not the most encouraging thing to go back to. But, when Berwald gave a small thank you to Tino and stood up, the few grumbles were silenced and any hesitation vanished under the first mates harsh glare around the room.

A firm slap to Alfred's back drew his attention to Lukas who was now standing beside him. "Come on, Alex." He grinned down at the blue-eyed man. "Since I beat you at checking the rigging you get to scrub my portion of the deck today."

Alfred let out a groan, having forgot about his little bet with the smaller blonde man, and turned a pleading eye to Emil. "You'll help me, right Emil?"

Emil merely scoffed at Alfred's begging expression. "You're the one that made that ridiculous bet. You lost, you get to clean, count me out."

Alfred turned to his brother. "Mat?"

"No." Was Matthew curt reply and he quickly left, collecting the rest of the plates and headed to the galley to wash all the dishes.

"It's just going to be you and your two best friends," Lukas paused and had to hold back a snicker at Alfred's hopeful expression. "Mr. Mop and Sir bucket." 

Alfred let out another loud groan and let his head hit the table, glasses smushed against his cheek, before he mustered the energy to stand and trailed after Lukas like a kicked puppy.  

* * *

The rest of the day passed uneventfully, Alfred managed to finish scrubbing his and Lukas's portion of the deck, with minimal jibes from his other crew mates. While, Alfred would normally complain at doing such a menial job, he much preferred being up high in the masts, Alfred found the repeating sweeping motion to rather relaxing. He let his mind get wrapped up in the soothing action, pushing his thoughts on what Tino and Mathias had said at lunch to the back of his mind.

Before Alfred knew it, the sun had dipped behind the horizon and after a quick dinner Alfred and his brother crashed into their designated berths in the hull. The quiet dark of being below deck, mixed with the gentle rock of the ship, normally sent Alfred straight to sleep after his long day of work. But, that night wasn't the case, and he laid there for a few more hours, twisting back and forth under his thin blanket before he got sick of listen to Matthew's snoring and crept towards the stairs leading back to the upper deck.

Alfred wandering towards the railing of the Belladonna, gently resting his forearms against the worn wood as he gazed out at the calm surface of the Fates Sea. It was a clear night and the stars lit up the sky like a thousands twinkling lights, their soft glow reflecting off the water. It was mostly quite aboard the ship, there were a few lit lanterns around the helm where Emil stood at the wheel for the night shift and a lone lantern at the top of the crow’s nest where the night lookout sat.

While Alfred's body was tired, his hands stinging from a new set of blisters, courtesy of Mr. Broom, Alfred couldn't seem to get his brain to stop thinking. The cool night air seemed to help get some, allowing Alfred to sort his thoughts. 

Saving spades wasn't going to be easy, Alfred knew that, but now he realized that he also had to regain the trust and faith of his citizens. The elderly man and his daughter that helped him and Matthew out in Barncombe had look to Alfred with such hope, yet Mathias proved that not everyone in Spades wanted the King back. If Alfred wanted to accomplish anything, he couldn’t start doubting himself now, Tino had that right. The Fates chose him, and Alfred was going to save Spades.  

The sounds of footsteps approaching Alfred pulled him from his thoughts, and turning his head slightly, Alfred spotted the familiar red coat and large feathered hat Mathias always wore.

The captain moved to lean against the railing, his body angled towards Alfred. “Considering how hard you work during the day, I’m surprised you’re not passed out in a bed by now.”

“I couldn’t sleep.” Alfred replied still staring out at the starry sky.

Mathias didn’t respond for a while, his icy blue gaze switching from Alfred to the darker water beyond. While the moment wasn’t tense, Alfred got the feeling that Mathias wanted to talk to him, yet whenever he seemed ready to speak, he would quickly look back out to the sea. The hesitation confused Alfred, Mathias was always spoke his mind, much to the chagrin of Berwald. 

Eventually Mathias let out a small hum. “You seem to have a lot on your mind, especially after our talk at lunch.”

“There is a lot of stuff to think about.” Alfred answered vaguely, not liking where this conversation could head. Alfred wasn’t the best of liars, and he knew that there could be a chance he would let something slip and alert Mathias to his true identify. So, thinking quickly he changed the topic. “The Belladonna is a wonderful ship, and the captains not too shabby.”

Mathias scoffed at complement and easy took to the change of subject. “I had better be more than shabby or else my great, great granddaddy would probably come back from the grave to scold me.”

“And why would he care?” Alfred asked, his curiosity peaked.

“Well, until everything went to shit three hundred years ago, it was a family tradition for the first born to become a captain in Spades’ Royal Navy. My great, great granddad was an Admiral. He was the pride of my family, and he even meet the King and Queen too.” Mathias boosted.

“Really?!” Alfred’s blue eyes widened slightly as he looked back through his memories.

“Really.” Mathias nodded. “Apparently, he even took the young King out on a sailing trip for his twelfth birthday.”

Large white sails, blue painted railings, shiny black cannons, and spinning the large wooden wheel all came rushing forward in Alfred’s mind. It had been a surprise from Arthur for his twelfth birthday, a few days away from Zelenè as they sailed for a week on the prized flag ship of the Royal Navy.

“It was on The Empress…” Alfred murmured.

Apparently, Alfred was a little louder than he thought, and Mathias gave a jolt at the name and turned to scrutinize the lad. “Wait, how’d you know what the ship was called? I never told you.”

Alfred face paled at his blunder. “I, uh-” He tried thinking quickly. “I’m a bit of a fan for history.” Alfred supplied weakly. He rubbed at his neck nervously, while shrinking under Mathias’s gaze. “It’s also a pretty famous ship, so how could I not know about it?”

Mathias face cracked into a wide grin, and he slapped Alfred’s shoulder in agreement. “Damn right she was famous ship! She took out twenty or more Clubs ships before the old girl sank.” The captain’s smile slipped a bit, and he looked longingly out at the water. “I always wanted to be like my great, great grandfather.”

Alfred notice the faraway look that Mathias had and decided to take another chance. “Well, for what it’s worth, I think you would have been one of the finest captains in Spades’ Royal Navy.” 

“Flattery will get you nowhere,” Mathias teased, but he turned and gave a warm smile to Alfred. “But I’m not gonna stop you from praising me.”

Alfred let out a loud laugh and the two of them lapsed into a comfortable silence again. They stayed that way for a few more minutes before a massive yawn tore from Alfred’s mouth.  

“I guess that’s my sign that I should be getting back to sleep.” Alfred pushed himself away from the railing and gave the captain a small wave goodbye.

“Wait, Alex.” Mathias said suddenly.

“Hmm?” Alfred turned confused.

Mathias bit at his lip and shifted on his feet. “Look, Tino told me- I- I know that you…” He trailed off, trying to decide if he should continue, but decided against it and waved his hand dismissively. “Never mind, don’t worry about it. Goodnight, Alex.”

“Okay, if you say so.” Alfred gave Mathias a funny look before waving again and headed back down to his berth.

* * *

Alfred didn’t even register when his head hit his pillow, but as soft filtered sunlight streamed down on his face and the sweet scent of roses hit his nose again, he knew that he was dreaming once more.

The garden had hardly changed, all the flowers were still beautifully blooming, the trees a luscious green color and there, once again, was Arthur. He was sitting at his iron table, this time a pot of tea by his side; a teacup held delicately in his fingers. He had taken off his periwinkle jacket and it was current was draped over the back of his chair; he was leaning back relaxed with his legs crossed, the top leg bobbing slowly.

Alfred gave a small distraught chuckle. "By the divines, I have to be going insane." 

Hearing Alfred speak, Arthur spun around quickly in his chair. The teacup made a small tink as it was set it down in haste, and Arthur made his way towards his king with quick strides.

"Alfred!" Arthur gave the man a stunning smile, one that lit up his emerald eyes, and made Alfred's knees go weak. However, Arthur’s steps slowed at Alfred’s troubled expression. "Are you alright? You look pale."

"No, I'm not." Alfred dragged a hand down his face, then pointed to the surrounding space. "I mean this can't be normal, seeing you in my dreams all the time."

Arthur fully stopped now, his smile falling. "Do you not want to see me?" Arthur's voice quivered, his green eyes dimming, and he took a slow step away from Alfred.

Alfred's heart twisted in guilt as he watched Arthur withdraw. "No, no! Of course I do." He stepped forward and captured Arthur's hands, drawing him in closer. "Every time I fall asleep, I hope that I get to dream of you."

"Well, then it's fine." Arthur squeezed Alfred's hands, a small smile coming back. "Dreams are supposed to show the desires of the unconscious, so if you keep wanting to see me then it makes sense that I keep appearing."

Alfred returned Arthur's smile, gently grinning down at Arthur. Without realizing it he had pulled Arthur closer so that they were nearly standing chest to chest. "I’ll always want to see you."

Alfred’s sky blue eyes shining behind his glasses were mesmerizing. Arthur felt himself being pulled in by their expressive depths till his chest lightly brushed the taller blonde. A dark blush bloomed across Arthur’s cheek as he realized how close the two of them had gotten, and he took a reluctant step back.

Arthur was completely flustered. “Right then, um would you like to sit?” He moved to the table to pull out a chair. “I have,” his eyes widened at the teapot, “oh shoot, I only have tea. I'm sorry I know that you don't like it. I could maybe try to go get coffee.” Arthur looked ready to bolt out of the garden to get a different beverage.

Alfred held back the small chuckle as he watched Arthur fret over a drink. “It's alright Arthur.” He moved to sit in the chair and gestured for Arthur to do the same. “I don't actually mind tea. I just said I hated it cause I was mad.” Alfred looked apologetically at Arthur. “I said a lot of things that I didn't mean when I was mad.”

“Oh,” Arthur let out a relieved breath and sunk into the chair opposite of Alfred. “Well, then would you like a cup?”

Alfred nodded. “Please.”

The fine china felt delicate in Alfred’s hand, but the unique scent of earl grey wafted over the rim of his filled up. The mixing scent of roses and tea was soothing, and Alfred closed his eyes, taking a couple of minutes to just sit and enjoy the calming scent. Arthur settled back into his chair, humming a soft tune that added to the relaxing atmosphere.

After some time, Alfred cracked his eye open to look at Arthur with a thoughtful look. “Did you know you were the reason that I came back?”

Arthur’s humming stopped and he looked at Alfred with surprised eyes. “Really?”

“Yep, I wanted to apologies for all the stupid things I said before I left.” Self-consciously Alfred shifted in his chair under Arthur’s gaze. “I wanted to tell you that I was sorry, that you are a great queen and I couldn’t have been luckier to have you by my side. But,” He shrugged dejectedly. “I guess I was a little too late, and now I can only tell you how sorry I am in my dreams.”

“Oh, Alfred.” Arthur watched Alfred’s peaceful expression fade to one of sadness and immediately moved his chair to sit beside his king. He grabbed Alfred’s hands in a comforting grip. “You shouldn’t be the one apologizing, I should. You were right, I was to controlling, too demanding. You are the King of Spades, not someone that should be coddled like a child.” 

“But, Arthur-” Alfred tried to protest, but was cut off with a firm squeeze to his hands.

“No. I have been queen for a long time, too long I sometimes think.” Arthur bit his lip in hesitation before continuing. “I remember when I first received my mark, I was like you, born from a small farming family in the outskirts of Spades. It was a trying time for all of the kingdoms, having been at war for a few years. There was a lot of pressure placed on my shoulders, I had the daunting task of learning all the decorum associated with ruling, while juggling the rising concerns from the citizen. However, within a few months of my coronation I was able to negotiate a peace treaty between Spades and the other kingdoms and, as such, I was herald as Spades greatest queen.”

“Wow, I didn't know that!” It was not often that Arthur would talk of his past, so Alfred was eager to hear where this went.

“Yes, but I didn't do it alone.” Arthur’s eyes grew distant as he continued, a fond smile on his face. “The King at the time was a very patient and kind man, someone I respected and looked up to. He helped me when I struggled and even now I consider him one of my best friends.”

Arthur’s smile fell. “I thought he was the perfect king, and that we would rule together for ages, but then he got sick and started to age. I couldn't understand why he was dying, but he told me that every monarch would die eventually, that it was the way of the Fates, and that someone greater would take his place. He was the first of many monarchs that I would watch pass on. I had to watch my family grow old, seeing my brothers having children and their children having children; I watched as everyone I knew and loved disappeared from my life.”

Alfred wanted to interrupt, but Arthur continued before he could say anything.

“It wasn't fair for me to stay the same while everything else keep changing, and before I realized it, I had started keeping people at a distance. Is not that I like being alone, it was just easier. I just couldn’t keep going through the pain of losing the people closest to me. I learned to rely on myself so that I wouldn't have to rely on others. But, your predecessor made me promise him that I would try again, that I would let someone in.”

“I only agreed to ease his passing.” Arthur admitted, but then the he turned and looked at Alfred with an affectionate twinkling in his emerald eyes. “However, then you came barging into my life with your bright blue eyes and massive smiles, and before I knew it you were already a part of my life. You were so young when you arrived, all innocent curiosity and mischievous troublemaker; it was always another story at bedtime or an extra hug for you. I would have done anything just to see your smile. Then before I knew it, you sprouted like a weed and the innocent boy was replaced with a strapping young lad, and I couldn't have been more proud. Your sweet smile turned charming and your voice became deep and smooth.” Arthur blushed at the last part. “When the assassin attacked you on your sixteenth birthday, and I saw you bleeding on the ground, it made me realize just how important you are to me.” Arthur’s eyes were filled with many emotions, but Alfred could see the raw desperation. “I can't lose you, Alfred. I don't want to be alone again.”

Alfred couldn’t stop himself, he reached out and pulled Arthur from his chair and into a massive hug. There were a few seconds where Arthur was tense under his arms, but soon Arthur melted into the embrace, sliding easily onto Alfred’s lap. Running his hands through Arthur’s soft blond strands, Alfred eased Arthur’s face back and stared into his emerald depths. “And you won't.”

“What?”

“You won't alone, Arthur. Not anymore.” Alfred promised. “I'm going to be by your side for it all.”

Arthur’s eyes filled with tears. With a shaky smile on his face, Arthur gently reached out to cup Alfred’s cheek, his thumb running over the skin. “I know, Alfred.”

Alfred felt his breath catch at the soft touch. Arthur face was so close; the sunlight catching on his golden hair, his pale skin smooth, and those soft, pink, lips that were slightly parted, all drove Alfred closer. 

“This is still my dream, right?” Alfred asked.

Arthur’s face scrunched slightly in confusion. “Yes?”

“Then I can do what I want, right?” Alfred’s eyes wandered to Arthur’s lips that were so close now.

“I guess, but I don't under-”

Arthur was cut off as Alfred eliminated the distance separating them and lightly brushed his lips against Arthur’s. It was gentle and soft, lasting only a few seconds before Alfred pulled back, his eyes fluttering open again.

“I wanted to kiss you for so long.” Alfred admitted, a dark flush reached down his neck.

Arthur’s eyes were still wide with shock, as he reached up to touch his lips.

Alfred grew worried, afraid that he overstepped his bounds, as Arthur remained frozen on his lap. “Uh, Arthur?”

Hearing his name seemed to jolt Arthur out of the daze that he was in. He moved his hand to the back of Alfred’s neck and gave his king a mischievous smirk. “Well, I hardly call that a kiss.”

Now it was Alfred’s turned to be stunned as Arthur bridged the distance and pushed their lips together. Where the first kiss was gentle and chaste, Arthur made this one harsh and hot, sliding himself closer so that he was pressed firmly against Alfred. Finally overcoming his shock, Alfred leapt into action, not wanting to be outdone by Arthur and he tilted his head to deepen the kiss. Arthur gave a pleased hum at man’s enthusiasm and gave a light nip to Alfred’s bottom lip in response.

Alfred gave a small gasp at the bite, and using this to his advantage, Arthur slipped his tongue into the younger man’s mouth. Alfred moaned as he felt Arthur’s silky tongue run along his. Both fought for dominance in the kiss. Arthur was more experienced, but when Alfred ran his hand up Arthur’s neck and buried his fingers in those soft strands, giving them a harsh tug, it made Arthur release a pleased whimper. Pressing his advantage, Alfred push Arthur's tongue back into his own mouth with Alfred’s following quickly after.

Arthur pulled back first, his breath coming out in harsh puffs, and gave Alfred a wide smile. “Now, that’s a kiss.”

Alfred nodded, enthusiastically before dragging Arthur back down and silencing him with another kiss. This was better than anything that Alfred could have dreamed off, Arthur’s lips were so soft and he tasted like the sweetest strawberries. All of this was becoming too much for Alfred, his body felt as if it was burning up, not to mention there was a growing problem in his trousers that got worse every time Arthur shifted on his lap.

Alfred let out a whine as Arthur pulled away again and this time refused to be coaxed down into another kiss.

“Wait.” Arthur pushed on Alfred’s chest, sitting up straighter and turned his head to the side, eyes searching the edge of the garden “Stop.”  

“No, don't wanna.” Alfred pouted and grinned as he spotted the creamy expanse of Arthur’s neck.

Alfred leaned forward and moved his lips over Arthur’s jaw and dragging them down to Arthur’s neck, smirking as he felt Arthur shudder in his grasp. Alfred placed a series of wet open mouthed kisses to the side of Arthur’s neck, occasionally giving a harsh suck that would earn him another shuddering moan.

However, as much as Arthur seemed to be enjoying Alfred’s ministrations he pulled away further, managing to escape Alfred’s grasp. “No, Alfred you have to wake up.” Arthur was now looking around fantastically. “Get up!”

“No, I don’t-” Alfred protested and went to grab Arthur’s hand, but the world shifted out of focus and began to dissolve around the edges, and his hand passed through empty air.

“Get up!”

“No, Arthur!” Alfred tried again to reach the now blurry outline of Arthur. Yet, with every step forward he took, the more the world fell away.

“Get up!”

“Arthur!” Alfred cried out as the world turned black.

* * *

“Get up!”

“No, Arthur.” Alfred mumbled in his sleep, tossing and turning in his berth.

“Dammit, Al.” Matthew swore at his brother as he desperately tried to shake Alfred awake. “Get up!”

“Arthur.” Alfred murmured again before his eyes slowly fluttered open. “Whatz goin’ on?” He rubbed at his eyes, sleepily.

However, before Matthew could reply a loud boom followed by the crashing of wooded echoed overhead. Hearing the loud sound had jolted Alfred into full awareness and he could now hear loud shouting from the upper deck followed by more of the deafening booms.

“Alfred! Get up.” Matthew tugged on his brother’s arm dragging him towards the stairs.

“Whats going on, Matt?” Alfred asked confused.

Matthew spun around with fear in his eyes. “The Belladonna is under attack by a Clubs’ frigate.”


	22. Dead men tell no tale

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whelp, that took forever to get out. So sorry guys :S
> 
> But on the plus side, I just finished my last university class, ever! :D Yep that's right, I'm graduating this year. No more essays, assignments or exams. I can't wait!
> 
> Huge thanks to Game over for giving me some advice for this chapter.
> 
> And again, this has only been edited by me, so sorry for any mistakes that I've missed.
> 
> Feel free to drop a comment or a kudos,  
> And as usual, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy! :D

“We are under attack?” Alfred asked dazed.

It was the resounding boom of a cannon blasts that answered Alfred’s question. Now fully awake, Alfred could now see that the surrounding berths were empty; clothes, bedsheets and other articles of clothing were haphazardly thrown on the ground, evidence of the crew getting up in a hurry. Another loud crash echoed above, the whole ship shuddering under the impact, and Alfred wasn’t given any more time to dwell on that fact as Matthew tugged him towards the stairs leading to the upper decks.

With shaky legs, the brothers made it to the next level and Alfred was shocked by the chaos he saw. Even with the limited filtered light coming through the grating of the upper deck, Alfred could see the damage already done to the Belladonna. Two major holes were blown into the port side of the ship, charred pieces of wood littered the ground, and the air was filled with a heavy smoke. A few crew members were lying on the ground, covered in soot and blood, moaning in pain, as their friends dragged them to a safer location.   

However, the Belladonna was putting up her own fight. Cannons were primed and loaded with smooth efficiency, multiple runners delivered cannon balls to waiting cannons, and the powered monkey quickly followed after. Loud shouts of fire would soon be followed by the cannons echoing reply. Lukas was below deck, running in between people, yelling out orders, assisting with the cannons and moving the injured; his azure eyes widened when he spot Alfred and Matthew standing uncertainly by the stairs.

Making his way over, Lukas had to shout to be heard over the loud blasts. “What in the name of the Divines are you doin here? It isn’t safe! You need-”

The crashing of wood interrupted the shorter blonde, and all three of them were sent to their feet as a cannonball blew another hole in the side of the Belladonna a few feet beside them. The force of the blast had Alfred’s head swimming and everything seemed to be moving in slow motion. Lukas appeared before his face again, a nasty gash running down his forehead, the blood was dripping down and staining his shirt. Alfred could see Lukas’s mouth moving but his brain was having trouble making out the man’s muffled words. Lukas grabbed Alfred’s shirt, yanking him upwards and gave him a firm shake that seemed to help clear the fuzziness from his head.

“Get your brother, and your ass to the top deck, now!” Lukas yelled at him. Giving one last shove to Alfred to get him moving, Lukas quickly ran off to help straighten a cannon that had shifted in the blast.

Alfred stumbled on his feet for a few moments before he managed to gain his bearings and went to pull and equally looking dazed Matthew off the ground. Alfred let out a sigh of relief as his brother showed no serious signs of injury, a few smudges of soot and a cracked lens on his glasses seemed to be the worst of it. But, it wasn’t time to relax and Alfred only waited till Matthew caught his breath before pulling his brother up the stairs.

A thick morning fog had settled on the water, surrounding the ship, making seeing at any distance a difficult task. As Alfred stepped foot on the top deck he took stock of how the ship was fairing, which wasn’t much better than what he had seen below. Some of the railings of the Belladonna had been blown away and the main mast had been snapped in half. Without her main mast, the Belladonna was considerable slower, moving at a snail’s pace compared to her normal speed. They were in trouble, and Alfred felt his gut drop as he finally managed to catch sight of the attacking vessel. 

The Club’s frigate slowly emerged from the cloudy fog. The bow was the first to materialized from the haze, a frightening sea serpent as its figurehead, then the rest of the massive ship followed. The frigate was painted completely black and it struck a threatening figure as it quickly approached the crippled Belladonna. Alfred tried to swallow, but his mouth went dry as he spotted the only speck of color on the frigate, a green Clubs’ banner fluttered from its top mast.

The Belladonna was a flurry of activity and Mathias’s booming voice could be heard hollering out orders. “All hands to your stations, I want those cannons loaded now!” His red coat swished behind him as he ran across the deck and towards his first mate who was moving a large chunk of mast that had fallen onto the deck. “Berwald, I need a damage report on that mast now!”

“It’s a complete loss, sir.” Berwald frowned at the splintered post. “We cannot outrun the Clubs’ vessel now.”

“Shit.” Mathias swore under his breath as he eyed the approaching frigate. If they couldn’t outrun the Clubs’ vessel, then they were going to have to make a stand.  “Emil, swing her around! I don’t want the fat lug of a ship ramming our side.” Mathias ordered his helmsman and held onto a rope as the Belladonna started to swing to the starboard.

Hearing Mathias shouting orders pulled Alfred out of his shocked state and he moved to stand beside the man. “Captain? Is there anything you want us to do?” Alfred asked, wanting to help the ship.

“What, no!” Mathias was surprised by the appearance of the brothers. “You two need to go to my quarters!” He pushed Matthew and Alfred towards his room. “And lock the door behind you!”

Alfred protested as he was shoved away, wanting to help. “But, we can-”

“Now!” Mathias roared at Alfred and that got the young man moving.

Matthew had already started walking towards the captain’s quarters, and Alfred quickly stumbled after his brother to catch up. However, just as Matthew had opened the door to captain’s private quarters, another shouted stopped him.

“Captain, she’s gonna hit us!”

Alfred spun on his feet and saw how the Clubs’ frigate was now approaching the bow of the Belladonna. The two ships were going to meet head on.

“Emil!” Mathias yelled. The helmsman’s small adjustment would be enough to miss a head-on collision, but it wasn’t going to be enough to miss colliding all together. They were going to hit and it was going to be rough. “Everyone, brace for impact!”

With a thundering crash, the two ships collided. Those that didn’t have a good grip on a solid structure were sent crashing to the deck; planks of wood cracked and splintered as the two ships slid against each other. Everyone on the Belladonna seemed to be rather stunned, staring at the hulking vessel beside them, and for a few tense moments everything went quiet.

Then, resounding thuds reverberated through the hull of the Belladonna as the Clubs’ vessel sent over grappling lines connecting the two ships together, in a tight hold. A mighty cry sounded from the Clubs’ frigate and countless soldiers charged onto the Belladonna’s deck.

Matthew’s eyes widened as he watched the crew of the Belladonna clash with the Clubs’ soldiers; the sound of steel and guttural yelling ringing in the air. Wasting no more time, Matthew dragging his brother into Mathias’s quarters, slamming the door behind him, and frantically looked for some way to block the door. The room was filled with random trinkets; swords decorating the walls, shelves filled with books, charts and maps spilling off a writing desk, but none of those would help Matthew blockade the door. There was a lavished bed underneath the large windows at the stern of the Belladonna, yet the bed seemed to be nailed firmly in place, so there was no way Matthew could move it. Spying a heavy desk pushed into the corner of the room, Matthew rushed towards the large object and prayed that it wasn’t nailed to the deck. He gave a mighty tug and let out a sigh of relief when the desk moved a few inches.

“Hey, Al.” Matthew grunted to his brother as he continued to pull on the desk. “Help me move this to the door.”

However, Alfred stood motionless in the center of the room, his face set in a determined frown as he stared at the ground.

“Al, help!” Matthew urged his brother, but when Alfred still didn’t move he turned to his brother. “Al?”

Another loud boom echoed from outside, and it created the final push to firm Alfred’s resolve. With unwavering steps he strode towards one of the cutlasses decorating the walls of the cabin. The sword made an ominous hiss as it was pulled from its scabbard and Alfred gave it a few test swings, getting a feel for the weight and balance of the blade before walking back to the door.

Matthew’s eyes widened in shock as he watched his brother turning the handle to open the door. “What are you doing Al?!” He pushed his brother back into the room and slammed the door shut.

“I’m not going to just sit by while I could help.” Alfred stared at his brother with a determined glint in his eye. “I know how to fight; I was trained by the sword masters in Spades and I won all the tournaments.”

“But, this isn’t a tournament! People are dying, you could die!” Matthew argued back and grabbed his brother’s arm in desperation. “So, just stay here where it's safe. Please.”

“No,” Alfred shook his head and pried Matthew’s grip off his arm. “I am and going to help.” Alfred reached for the door. “Stay here Matthew and lock the door behind me.”

Matthew let out an angry puff of air and glared at his brother,  cursing his stubbornness. “Well, you’re stupid if you think I’m going to let you go out there alone.” He stomped over to grabbed a spare cutlass as well, but tucked the weapon close to his body to hide the small tremors that shook his hands from his brother’s eyes.

Now it was Alfred’s turn to look at his brother with shock, he could see his brother’s pale and nervous expression, and immediately went to take the sword from his brother’s hand. “I know how to fight Mattie, you don’t.” He swiped at Matthew’s cutlass, but his brother evaded his reach. “So, please stay here.”

“No,” Matthew gave his brother his own determined glare, fighting back his nervousness. “Together, remember?”

Alfred let out a sigh. “Fine, just don’t do anything reckless.”

Matthew rolled his eyes at his brother. “I could say the same to you.”

Opening the door, Matthew and Alfred were greeted with the chaos that had managed to take over the Belladonna in just a short amount of time. Numerous bodies were sprawled on the ground either dead or injured. Many of the dead or injured were sporting the Clubs’ uniform, but the Belladonna had suffered some casualties as well.

Gathering his courage, Alfred jumped into the fray, his brother close behind him. While in Earth, Alfred had barely touched his sword causing a few of his movements to be jerky and ill-timed. Yet, as the familiar clash of steel on steel reverberated through his hand, Alfred found his body moving from memory. Alfred’s stance regained its fluidity, easily parring his first opponent slashes, drawing from his experiences from past tournaments. The Clubs’ soldier lacked speed, and Alfred used that to his advantage, managing to out maneuver his opponent, while slashing a few deep gashes to the man’s legs and side.

The soldier staggered back, holding his side, and Alfred raised his sword to the man’s neck, expecting the soldier to yield as there was no way to win. Yet, Alfred was taken for surprise when the man recklessly charged forward, in a last desperate attempt to kill Alfred. Watching the sword coming towards him, Alfred reacted instinctively, sidestepping the soldier while bring his cutlass up and pushed it towards the man’s unguarded torso.

Alfred’s eyes widened as he felt his blade pierce the man’s body, and nearly lost his grip on his cutlass as the Clubs’ soldier slumped to the side and dropped to the ground with a heavy thud. Alfred felt sick as he looked at his now red cutlass, tournaments rarely ended in death, and this unknown man was the first person that Alfred had killed. However, Alfred barely had time to process his shock as another Clubs’ soldier approached him, and Alfred was forced to parry another blow.

This wasn’t a tournament, this was life or death. Alfred steeled his resolve as he started to advance forward, pushing his way across the deck of the ship, hoping to slow the flow of Clubs’ soldiers crossing over to the Belladonna. However, a flash of red in his peripheral vision drew Alfred’s attention. Mathias was locked in a fierce battle with three soldiers, his cutlass a sliver blur as it whizzed through the air with a crazed smile stretching across his face. While, Mathias seemed to be holding his own against the unfair odds, the captain’s attention was solely focused on his opponents and was unaware of a fourth soldier advancing towards him from behind.

“Shit.” Alfred swore under his breath before he redoubled his efforts to make his way to their captain. Luckily, there were only a few people separating Alfred from Mathias, and with Matthew’s help, the two brothers swiftly made their way to their captain’s aid.

With a quick maneuver, Mathias had managed to kill one of the soldiers and severely injure another. Mathias, spotting his third opponent starting to lunge towards him, moved his sword up to block and waited for the impact. But, instead of the soldier lunging forward, he crumpled to the ground with Matthew removing his now red stained cutlass from the man’s back.

Mathias stared at Matthew in confusion. “What are you-” He started to question but stopped when he caught a flash of steel in the corner of his eye.

Spinning around quickly, Mathias brought up his blade to defend himself, but again was surprised to see Alfred standing over a now dead Clubs’ soldier.

“You ok, Captain?” Alfred questioned as he moved to a more defensive position beside his brother.

“I-” Mathias’s gaze switched back and forth between the two brothers for a moment, looking confused, till his face fell into a dark frown. “What are you doing, I thought I told you to stay in my quarters?!”

“You did,” Alfred shrugged, and turned to parry an incoming soldier, then stood back while Matthew finished him off. “But, it looked like you could use the help.”

Mathias huffed crossly, then nodded in resignation. “Well, you’re not too bad with a sword.” He lifted his cutlass towards the helm. “Alex, go help Berwald, he’s going to be out numbered soon and Mat, you can help me clear this deck off.”

Matthew wanted to protest to the idea of him getting separated from his brother, but he never got the chance. Alfred gave a quick nod to Mathias and dashed off in the direction of the helm, while a new group of soldiers jumped onto the Belladonna and Matthew had to switch his focus to the advancing foes.

Alfred weaved around the skirmishes on deck, easily moving through the chaotic fighting. Taking the stairs two at a time, Alfred vaulted up to the helm just in time to see Berwald crumple a group of Clubs’ soldiers with a swing of his massive, double-bladed, battle axe. Yet, the stoic first mate barely had a moment's reprieve before two more soldiers charged towards him.

Moving with lighting fast reflexes, Alfred charged at one of the Clubs’ soldiers and easily pierced below their protective armor and watched as the man slide uselessly to the deck. Beside him, Berwald crushed the other soldier with a devastating overhead swing.

“Thanks.” Berwald grunted as he dropped his axe and leaned heavily against the handle, his breaths coming out ragged puffs

“Not a problem.” Alfred gave the first mate a smile, yet paled when he noticed the large red gash on Berwald’s side. “Oh, shit! Are you alright?”

Berwald frown as he looked down at his side. “It’s just a scrape, I’m fine.”

“That’s a whole lot of blood for just a scrape.” Alfred pointed out.

Berwald smirked at Alfred. “Most of it’s not my blood.”

“Still, we should get you to Tino.” Alfred reason. “He’s not going to like it if you bleed out on deck.”

“I can’t leave.” Berwald stood firm.

“What?” Alfred’s face scrunched in confusion. “Why?”

“I have to wait till Emil gets back.” Berwald replied, stubbornly.

“Emil gets back?” Alfred couldn’t understand why this was important. “Well, where did he go?”

Berwald simply raised his finger and pointed to the Clubs’ frigate.

“The frigate?!” Alfred asked in disbelief.

The first mate nodded.

“What!” Alfred felt his panic rise. “Why did he do that, he’s going to be killed.”

“You’d be surprised on what gets overlooked when on the battlefield. Emil’s small and smart enough to sneak aboard and rig their gunpowder to blow. Mathias is going to cut the ropes joining the two ships when Emil gets back and I’m going to steer us away from the frigate.”

“But, with only one mast, we barely move at all.” Alfred frowned. “How do you know we can get far enough away?”

Berwald shrugged. “I don’t. But, it’s the best bet we have.”  

“That’s not-” Alfred began, but was interrupted when a group of Clubs soldiers rushed their way to the helm.

Alfred took a defensive stance in front of Berwald, wanting to keep as many of the soldiers away from his injured friend. Yet, being outnumbered and on the defensive, was not the easiest way to fight, and as the clash continued, Alfred felt his movements beginning to slow due to fatigue. Small nicks along Alfred’s arms and legs were occurring at an alarming rate and Alfred knew that he was running out of energy. With one last burst of speed, Alfred lashed out with a quick lunged that managed to topple a couple of the soldiers that were directly in his path. Continuing with his momentum, Alfred increased his speed and his blade moving in a series of forehand, backhand, side and overhead cuts. However, as Alfred pressed his advantage, his movements took him further away from Berwald.

It was a pained gasped that had Alfred spinning around, and to his horror, he saw Berwald lying dazed on the deck as soldier's sword beared down on the first fate.

“No!” Alfred shouted and charged towards the soldier.

Alfred drove his cutlass forward as he crashed into the man and flung the soldier away from Berwald. Dropping to his knee, Alfred frantically scanned his eyes over the first mate, looking for any more serious injuries.

“Are you-” Alfred was going to ask Berwald if he was alright when a massive surge of energy raced up his back, causing his Spades mark to tingle. 

The Spades mark flared to life, building in intensity as a familiar accented voice echoed through Alfred’s head. “Alfred, move!” It was Arthur’s voice crisp, and clear as if the man was standing beside him.

Alfred turned his head in confusion, searching for the source of the voice. But, as he twisted, Alfred saw a blade swinging down towards him, and his body leapt into action, rolling to the side. Yet, his moment of hesitation had caused him to be just a bit too slow, and Alfred hissed as he felt the blade cut a line across his back.

Scuttling backwards on the ground, Alfred put some distance between the Clubs’ soldier and himself, cursing his idiocy as he spotted his cutlass lying, uselessly, by Berwald. The man that had attacked Alfred began to advance towards him, a ruthless smile spreading across the soldier’s face once he realized that Alfred was defenseless.

Alfred’s eyes quickly flitted across the deck, desperately searching for something to defend himself with. Continuing to inching backwards, Alfred winced as his back tapped against the side railing and panicked as he realized that he had no nowhere left to go. Caught against the side of the deck and watching as the Clubs’ soldier slowly advanced towards him, Alfred blindly reached out beside him and curled his hand around the first thing he could grab. The soldier stood before Alfred and paused for a moment, as if to gloat, then brought his sword down in a deadly arch, heading straight for Alfred’s head. In a last attempt to stop the soldier, Alfred threw whatever he grabbed at the man.

Alfred’s Spades mark burned as the object left his hand and Alfred could only stare in shock and horror as he watched a massive anchor crash sickeningly into the Clubs’ soldier.  

“What? How?” Alfred mumbled in disbelief as he looked down at his hand.

With one final pulse of energy, the Spades mark finally settled down, leaving behind a warm tingle that spread through Alfred’s body with every breath. The few Clubs’ soldiers that had watched what had happened to their countryman shifted uncertainly, hesitant murmurs could be heard of who should attack the boy next.

With a shaky breath, Alfred pushed himself off the grown, slightly wincing as his movement pulled at the wound. Alfred could feel how his shirt stuck to his back and was fearful to see how much blood there actually was. But, the group of soldiers in front of him was the more pressing concern and Alfred pushed thoughts of his injury to the side. Making his way over to the anchor, Alfred swallowed back the urge to gag as he lifted the anchor from the mangled corpse. Despite the situation, Alfred couldn’t stop the small part of his brain from marveling at how easy it was for him to lift such a heavy weight, and with determined steps he made his way back over to stand in front of Berwald. Taking a defensive stance over the first mate, Alfred lifted the anchor in the air and pointed it threateningly at the group of Clubs’ soldiers.  

“I suggest going back to your own ship now.” Alfred threatened, dangerously.

The remaining Club soldiers looked at each other nervously before one man took a quivering step forward, his sword pointed at Alfred in a halfhearted attempt. Without a second though, Alfred quickly swung the anchor through the air and brought it down on the man’s sword. The Clubs soldier let out an undignified shriek and leapt backwards, holding only the hilt of his sword, the rest of it lay broken on the ground.

“I will not repeat myself.” Alfred voice filled with a commanding authority. “Return to your ship, now.”

The soldiers seemed to hesitate, but when Alfred took a step towards the group, they scattered backwards all but tumbling down the stairs of the helm.

Alfred let out a weary breath and let the anchor fall to the deck with a heavy thud before turning a concerned gaze to Berwald who seemed to be struggling to sit upright.

Dropping to his knees, Alfred gently pushed the first mate back down onto his back. “Don’t try to move, it’s going to make it worse.”

Berwald tried to shake off Alfred’s hands. “We have to turn the ship.”

“No, I need you lie still.” Alfred shook his head resolutely, drawing on his few years of being King to make his voice sound firm. “At the rate you’re going, you’ll pass out from blood loss.” Alfred began to fuss over the injured first mate seeing if he could lessen the bleeding.

Berwald grabbed hold of Alfred’s shirt and shook him with a surprising amount of strength. “Someone needs to turn this ship now!”

“Whoa, easy-” Alfred was going to scold Berwald for the rough movement when he heard Mathias’s frantic voice over the fighting.

Standing up, Alfred could see Mathias running along the side of the deck, cutting all the ropes that were connecting the Belladonna to the Clubs frigate.

“Berwald!” The captain shouted. “Berwald, get us outta here!”

Dashing alongside Mathias, helping to cut the ropes, was a smaller man. The silver-white hair and strange parrot that flew around the man was a dead giveaway of Emil and Alfred’s eyes widened as he looked at the Clubs’ frigate.

If Emil was back, then that meant that the frigate was about to blow. Cursing under his breath, Alfred dashed to the wheel and yanked it to the right. At first, both ships seemed to be stuck together, even with the ropes holding them together cut. But, then there was a loud crack and the grating sound of wood against wood reverberated in the air as the Belladonna slowly started to limp away from the looming figure of the frigate.

Alfred could still hear the cries of fighting going on from the deck below, but he couldn’t tear his eyes of the frigate. While the other ship had started moving as well, the Belladonna wasn’t making much headway. As the seconds increased, Alfred felt his grip on the wheel grow tighter, just a little bit farther and the Belladonna should be fine.

A few seconds later, Alfred was nearly thrown to his feet as the Clubs frigate exploded with a resounding boom. Pieces of wood flew up into the air as fiery inferno tore the middle of the frigate apart. Alfred cringed at the cries coming from the Clubs vessel, and looked away as the ship started to sink. 

 

Berwald watched Alfred’s face fall into a frown and shook his head as he pushed himself upright. “They would have done the same to us, if given the chance.”

“I know.” Alfred said somberly. “It’s just different, watching it happen. Knowing that people are dying because of something you did. This was my first real fight, I-” Alfred’s hands balled up into tight fists, occasionally shaking. “I killed a person today, well more than one actually.”

“We live in a time of war, I don’t think anyone here wanted to kill those men, but fighting for survival is commonplace.” Berwald stated.

Alfred felt his heart clench at the the thought of people constantly fighting to survive. “If it’s war that causes all this death and suffering, why do people start them?” Alfred turned to Berwald, hoping for an answer.

The first mate just gave a pained shrug. “That’s a good question, kid.”

Noticing Berwald wincing, Alfred pushed away his dreary thoughts and moved to assist the first mate. “Come on, we need to get you to Tino before your wound gets any worse.”

“I told you it was just a scratch.” Berwald pushed away Alfred’s hands and wobbled to his feet. He managed to stay upright, but Alfred could see Berwald’s body starting to sway. “Besides, your injury is worse than mine. You should be treated first.”

Alfred couldn’t resist the urge to roll his eyes and all but tugged the taller man to lean his weight against Alfred’s frame. “But, you’ve been injured longer, so no more arguing. I’m helping you down to the deck, and you’re going to see Tino.”

Moving down the steps of the helm took some maneuvering. With every step they took, Alfred could feel Berwald slump more onto his side. Under normal conditions, such action wouldn’t be much of an issue but the tall man’s weight was awkward to move down the stairs and Alfred’s own injury was flaring in pain.

Thankfully, the stairway had remained relatively undamaged from the cannon blasts from the Clubs’ frigate, which Alfred counted as a blessing, as he most likely wouldn’t have been able to help Berwald down the stairs if they were damaged. Yet, when Alfred looked at the rest of the Belladonna he grimaced. With the fighting over, Alfred could see that the ship had taken a lot of damage, the worst being the splintered mast lying broken across the deck. Mathias and Emil were running across the deck, sorting the wounded, while some other members of the crew collected the bodies of the dead, preparing them for a sea burial.

When the two men finally reached the bottom step, Alfred let out a sigh of relief, but instantly froze up at Berwald’s words.

“You are more important than my injuries.”

“What?!” Alfred pulled back and gave Berwald an incredulous look.

Berwald never got the chance to reply as Matthew barreled into his brother, throwing his arms around Alfred in a tight hug. Emil and Mathias also wandered over, and the captain moved immediately to take Berwald’s weight from Alfed.

“Alex!” Matthew buried his head in his brother’s neck. “Thank the Divines you are alright!”

White hot pain raced down Alfred’s back as he was squeezed in a hug. “Ouch.” He hissed out. “Easy on the back, Mat.”

“Oh!” Matthew’s eyes widened considerable and he took a step back from his brother. Instantly shifting into mother hen mode, Matthew spun Alfred around to look at his brother’s back and let out a gasp. “You’re bleeding, a lot.”

“I’ll get Tino to have a look at Alex’s back.” Emil started to move towards the stairs leading to the lower deck, when Matthew’s voice stopped him.

“No!” Matthew shouted and tugged his brother closer, protectively guarding Alfred’s back.

Even now, peeking through the hole in Alfred’s damaged shirt, Matthew could see the top left swirl of his brother’s Spades mark. Matthew knew that if Alfred went to Tino to get his injury treated then his brother’s shirt would no doubt have to come off, and then there would be no hiding who Alfred was. He may not be as skilled as Tino, but Matthew had patched up Alfred more times than he could count, so if anyone had to look after Alfred, it was going to be Matthew.

“No?” Emil cocked his in confusion. “But, Alex is injured.”

“I what-” Matthew stuttered, thinking quickly. “What I mean is that I can look after my brother. I’m sure Tino is busy treating the others.”

“That may be true,” Mathias nodded in agreement, “but I would feel better if Tino, a doctor, had a look at Alex’s back.”

When Emil went to move towards Alfred, Matthew panicked. He grabbed his brother’s arm and slide him backwards and away from Emil’s outstretched hand.

“No! don’t touch him!” Matthew yelled.

“Mat.” Alfred whispered, trying to calm his brother down before the situation got worse.

All eyes were drawn towards the two brothers that everyone missed Tino and Lukas emerge from below deck and approach the arguing group. Tino had heard the tail-end of the conversation, and he knew he had to act fast before one of the two brothers decided to act recklessly.

“It’s alright Matthew, you have nothing to fear from us.” The doctor’s soft voice seemed to cut the tension in the air.

Matthew shifted his glare to Tino. “What are you talking about.”

Tino brushed off Matthew’s angry tone and instead tried to pacify the boy with a warm smile. “We know, Matthew. You don’t have to lie anymore.”

Both Alfred and Matthew tensed.

“I have no idea what you are talking about.” Grounded out Matthew.

“Your name is Matthew and your brother is Alfred.” Tino kept up his friendly smile. “But, I think Alfred is better known as the King of Spades.”

Matthew’s eyes went wide and he shifted nervously. “That’s preposterous.”

“Then please explain to me,” Lukas spoke up and waved his hand towards Alfred, “why his face is the same as the one plastered on the posters at Araimore, or the fact that when I snooped through your bags I found some fancy ass royal Spades garments and a sword that looks expensive as shit?”

“You went through our stuff?” Alfred whined and shot a betrayed look at Lukas.

“Of course.” Lukas scoffed at Alfred. “You think that we would let two suspicious people stay aboard without a little bit of background checking. I wanted to gather as much information as possible, and it’s not exactly like you locked away your stuff.”

“I also watched Alfred pick up a 600 pound anchor like it was nothing.” Berwald spoke up. “That’s not exactly normal behavior.”

“You what?!” Matthew turned to his brother in shock.

“Haha, surprise?” Alfred shrugged sheepishly. “Arthur always said I’d get a Spades ability, guess mines super strength.”

“Al-” Matthew started but was interrupted by Tino.

“Look, Matthew. I understand the need to lie about your identity in the beginning, and I do not fault you for doing that. But, we have known for a while now, or well most of us.” Tino sent a look towards Mathias.

“Hey,” The captain huffed at Tino’s remark. “You could have told me sooner, or at least before I put my foot in my mouth.” Mathias turned to Alfred and gave a small bow. “I’m sorry about that by the way. I said some rude things to you unknowingly in the dining hall.”

Alfred was taken back by the bow. “It’s ok?” He said hesitantly.

“Regardless,” Tino spoke a little louder and frowned at Mathias for interrupting. “If we wanted to hurt you, Matthew, we could have done it a long time ago. So please, trust us and let me tend to your brother.”

“I-” Matthew still looked uncertain, his gaze switching over all the crewmates.

“It’s ok, Mattie.” Alfred ended his brother’s stressing by grabbing hold of Matthew’s hand and gave them a tight squeeze. Alfred gave Matthew a smile when his brother seemed calmer. “I trust them.”

“Ok.” Matthew let out a resided sigh and took a step back.

Tino gave Matthew a small nod in thanks as he moved closer to Alfred. Not wanting to cause any extra pain, Tino simply cut the ruined shirt off Alfred’s back and immediately started to inspect the wound. Now that Alfred was finally being treated, Emil helped to moved Berwald into a more comfortable position, leaning against the hand railing while Lukas wrapped a makeshift bandage around the first mate’s middle. Matthew hovered around his brother, even if he wasn’t treating his Alfred’s wounds, Matthew would make sure that he was at least comfortable.

Mathias attention was drawn to the spiraling ink across Alfred’s back and he let out a low whistle. “In all my life I never would have thought that I would be giving passage to the King of Spades.”

Alfred let out a small chuckle and turned as much as he could under Tino’s firm hands. “I think your great, great grandda would be proud of you.”

“Ya, I think he would be too.” Mathias face stretched into a large grin.

The Belladonna had managed to evade and out maneuver many Clubs’ vessels in the past. But, now more than ever, Mathias new that this journey would be one of the most important trips that the Belladonna would take. For if he failed, Mathais would not only be letting his crew down, but also the entirety of Spades.

“Alright!” Mathias let out a yell, gathering the attention of his crew. “Anyone that can move, get to cleaning the deck. I want holes patched, and somebody do something about that broken mast. It’s time we get back on track to Hearts!”


	23. Plans always seem to change

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew, what a hectic past couple of months. I got a sweet graduation present, which was a trip to England. And it was a dream come true. So, I didn't have a lot of time to write there.   
> And now that I'm done school my dad keeps asking me when i'm getting a job :S Turns out job hunting is hard :'(
> 
> So, sorry for such a late update. Hopefully, I can get back on track. 
> 
> And again, this has only been edited by me, so sorry for any mistakes that I've missed.
> 
> Feel free to drop a comment or a kudos,  
> And as usual, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy! :D

“Alfred!” Matthew’s voice rang out clear across the deck, and without turning around, Alfred could already tell that his brother was glaring at him. “What in the Divines, do you think you are doing?!”

Slowly turning to face his brother’s wrath, Alfred shrugged and gave Matthew an innocent look as he held up the mop in his hands like a peace offering. “Cleaning?”

“I can see that.” Matthew’s glare intensified. “I want to know why?”

Alfred let out a low whine. “Oh, come on Mattie. It’s just cleaning.”

“Exactly!” Matthew went to grab the mop, but Alfred pulled it back and out of his reach. “Tino said no strenuous movement for at least a two weeks, and it’s only been a week! You should be below deck, resting.”

“I hardly call swabbing the deck strenuous.” Alfred chuckled at his brother’s worrying while he jerked the mop away again. “And if you listened to Tino, then you would know that my cut isn’t that bad. I can barely feel it anymore.”

“Regardless,” Matthew finally managed to grab hold of the mop and tugged it out of his brother’s hands. “You should be resting.”

Alfred stuck his lip out in a pout at his brother’s angry face. “But I don’t wanna, Mattie. I’ve been stuck in bed doing nothing, while the rest of the crew has helped repair the Belladonna. I offered to help lift the heavy planks of wood, I got scolded by Tino. I offered to help cook, I got scolded by Mathias. I tried to clean and I got scolded my you. I just want to help.”

“I know, Al.” Matthew watched his brother mope. Alfred’s upset expression was worse than his puppy eyes, and Matthew could feel guilt chipping away at his resolve. After a few more seconds Matthew let out a resigned sigh and offered the mop back. “Here, but if you get tired or feel dizzy, then take a break.”

Alfred perked up instantly and wrapped his brother in a hug. “Yes, of course! Thank you.” He took back the mop and went back to the easy swabbing he had started. 

Alfred started to whistle a little tune as he let himself get distracted by his work. Yet, minutes later Alfred jolted in surprise when the sound of another mop hit the deck thudded beside him. Throwing a glance over his shoulder, Alfred saw Matthew swabbing the deck alongside him.

“What are you…” Alfred trailed off, looking at his brother in confusion. 

“It’s a big deck.” Matthew shrugged and evaded his brother’s eyes. “I thought you could use the help.”

“Hmhm.” Alfred hummed, skeptically, knowing all too well why his brother was cleaning alongside him.

Still feeling his brother eyes on him, Matthew mumbled out quietly, “And, this way I can keep an eye on you too.”

Alfred rolled his eyes at his brother. “You are such a worrywart.” He teased Matthew, but accepted the help regardless. 

It was a warm day, in fact for the past couple of days, Alfred had notice the changes in the weather. The Fates Seas is vast, stretching to every Kingdom’s shore, and under the Belladonna’s slow progress forward the Spades’ cool and crisp ocean breeze was transitioning to Diamonds’ sluggish and muggy air. Under careful and slow movements, it took Alfred a little longer to finish cleaning the rest of the deck, even with Matthew’s help. The sun was at its highest point now, and the grumble from Alfred’s stomach alerted that it was time for lunch.

Matthew chuckled at his brother and his complaining stomach. “Well, with that I guess we should get you some food.”

Alfred stuck his tongue out at Matthew, but knew that his brother was right. They both gathered their buckets and dumped the remaining water over the side, leaving the mops leaning against the railing to dry out in the sun. Yet, as Matthew continued towards the galley, Alfred took a moment to take in a deep breath of the warm air and let a smile stretch across his face.

Even though his travels outside of Spades were rare, it was during his younger years that Alfred had always enjoyed the diplomatic trips he attended in Diamonds. Having never been outside of his home town as a child, Alfred could remember how excited he was to see another kingdom. After only a few trips, Diamonds soon became his favorite place to visit, much to Arthur’s dismay. Alfred would basked in the warmer climate of Diamonds, spend hours out in the warm sun. It was these warmer temperatures that Alfred enjoyed and Arthur loathed. The Spades Queen would grumble under the heat, seeming to wilt like a flower under the harsh sun, while his skin turned red.

Thinking about Arthur drew Alfred’s mind to the dreams he had been having. They were strange with how vivid and realistic it all seemed, but Alfred knew that they were just dreams, fading when he awoke. Yet, thinking back to the fight with the Clubs’ vessel, Alfred couldn’t shake the feeling that he had heard Arthur’s voice, warning him of danger. It had sounded so real, as if the Queen of Spades had been standing beside him during the fight. Without meaning to, Alfred found himself scanning the deck looking for Arthur’s fluffy, blonde, hair as if he had always been there. 

Yet, the only blonde hair that Alfred spotted belong to his brother’s retreating figure. Alfred bit his lip uncertainly before he decided to voice his thoughts. “Hey, Mattie?” His tone unusually quiet.

Matthew stopped and turned to his brother, instantly noticing how pensive his brother looked. “Hmm? Is something wrong?”

“I was wondering, have you been having dreams?” Alfred questioned, vaguely.

“Dreams?” Matthew’s faced scrunched in confusion. “What are you talking about?”

“Well,” Alfred shifted, hesitant to voice his thoughts to his brother, knowing it would most likely cause him to worry. “Since we got back, I have been having these weird dreams when I sleep sometimes.” He paused. “Some are of Zelené, sometimes its the palace gardens, other times they have Arthur in them.”

Matthew face fell into a concerned frown. “I can’t say I have. Why, Al?”

“Hmm, no reason.” Alfred waved his hand dismissively, hoping to stop his brother from getting too worried and start questioning his mental state. Deciding to end the conversation, Alfred started to walk away. “Never mind, don’t worry about it.”

Yet, Alfred was only able to talk a few steps before he was stopped. Matthew had reached out and grabbed his arm in a grip tight, leaving no room for escape.

“Mattie.” Alfred spoke with his back to his brother, his tone trying to warn Matthew to stop prying.

“Look,” Matthew paused, trying to find the right words. “I know we haven’t really spoken about this much, and I didn’t want to push you before you were ready, but I think we need to talk about happened with Spades.”

“There’s not much to talk about.” Alfred said dismissively, not wanting to talk about the touchy subject.

“That’s not true and you know it!” Matthew argued back. “I know it’s a hard topic to talk about, heck it makes me uneasy just thinking about it.” Matthew’s tightened his grip on Alfred’s arm as he continued. “We were gone for over three hundred years, and things have changed, a lot. Everyone we used to know is gone; our parents, Richard and Anna, the guards, our friends, all of them.” Matthew’s voice grew thick and he had to stop to catch his breath. 

Hearing his brother’s voice waver at the end, Alfred turned to regard his brother. Then seeing the slight sheen in his brother’s eyes, Alfred instantly regretted that he had tried to brush Matthew’s concern off.

“I know that you’re upset that they’re gone, and in the beginning, you didn’t want to talk about it, which I respected. But, you are not the only one that lost all those people!” Matthew rubbed at his eyes harshly, angry at himself for getting so emotional. “I know what you’re going through. So why won’t you let me help?”

“Mattie, I’m sorry.” Alfred muttered to his brother before dragging Matthew into a tight hug.

Matthew clasped onto his brother. “I just want you to know that I am here for you, that we can talk about what happened, together.”

“Thanks, Matthew.” Alfred said into his brother’s shoulder. “It was easier for me to just not think about it, but that wasn’t fair to you. I should have talked to you about it. But, in all honest, I have been feeling better with what happened to Spades, and I think the dreams I’m seeing have something to do with it.

“Al, you know that Arthur is gone.” Matthew said cautiously as he drew back from the hug. “You need to let him go and move on. Dwelling on dreams and figments of him is not healthy.”

Alfred let out a small chuckle as he shrugged, sheepishly. “It’s not like I can control what I see when I dream, Matthew.”

Matthew seemed reluctant but nodded regardless. “Hmm, ok. But if it starts to get worse, tell me.”

“Fine, mister worrywart.” Alfred agreed, and wisely decided to not tell Matthew the fact that he had thought he had heard Arthur’s voice during the fight.

“Hey!” Matthew riled up at his brother’s teasing. “Someone has to look after you.”

“Ya, ya.” Alfred ruffled his brother’s hair. “Now, let’s go get us some lunch.”

Throwing his arm around his brother’s shoulder, Alfred tugged Matthew along, ignoring how his brother squirmed uselessly in his hold. Smirking, Alfred tightened his grip and had to hold back a chuckle as Matthew huffed a sigh of defeat and let himself be towed along. Alfred’s smirk changed to a small grin as his antics had seemed to wipe away any lingering sadness from his brother’s eyes.

Matthew and Alfred had almost made it to the stairs leading down to the lower decks when a muffled shouting drew both of their attention. Frowning at each other, the two brothers followed the angry yelling till it lead them to the doors of the captain’s quarter. While, the muffled voices were slightly clearer, it was still impossible to make out what was being said. Alfred eyed the door handle, indecisively, knowing that if he did open it, he might be interrupting a private conversation. Yet, his curiosity won out, and Alfred slowly creaked the door open enough to peek in, with Matthew looking over his shoulder.

The captain’s quarters looked relatively the same since Alfred and Matthew were last in the room. The room, luckily enough, remained mostly unscathed from the cannon blasts of the Clubs’ frigate, save for a couple of planks missing from the side wall and a few bookshelves that were beyond repair. Some shelving, chests and other trinkets had been shifted around, and the major difference was the heavy oak desk was now in the center of the room where Mathias, Berwald and Lukas were huddled around.

Thankfully, no one seemed to be fighting physically, but with one look at Lukas and Alfred could tell that he was fuming in anger. The smaller man’s face was bright red as he continued to shout at the other two.

“Are you insane?! We can’t stop there!” Lukas gestured angrily at the map. “It would be like bringing a lamb to the slaughter!”

“Lukas,” Berwald let out a tired sigh. “We don’t have a better option.”

“Any option is better than this one!” Lukas shouted back.

“If we try to push forward any further, we might not make it.” Berwald turned his attention on Mathias, hoping to appeal to his captain’s reason. “We must stop.”

Seeing Lukas’s scowl deepen, Alfred pushed open the door all the way, hoping that his interruption would stop the fight that was obviously going to happen. His action had the desired effect as three startled faces turned towards him.

“Hey, is everything alright?” Alfred called out. “Mattie and I could hear you guys arguing all the way out on the deck.”

Mathias’s shock melted away quickly and his face it up into a large grin. “Oh, Alfred and Matthew, prefect!” He grabbed the two brothers with eagerness and all but dragging them further inside. “You can help be the deciding factor here.”

“Deciding factor, what are you talking about?” Alfred asked confused as both he and his brother stumbled along behind Mathias. 

The captain dragged both Alfred and Matthew over to the large table in the center of the room. Upon closer inspection, Matthew could see that the table was covered in various maps, some with markers indicating ports. Yet, what really drew Matthew’s eye was that all the maps seemed to be the outline of Diamonds’ coast. 

“Well,” Mathias looked around awkward before he returned his attention to the brothers and gave a sheepish smile. “We have some bad news, lads.”

“Bad news…” Matthew raised his brow skeptically, and once more took a look at the maps.

“Yes.” Mathias confirmed. “After trying to finishing the major repairs, it’s easy to see that the Belladonna is in rough shape. Most of the repairs won’t hold up, it’s like wrapping an injury with a bandage roll when it really needs stitches. The main problem is with her main mast being damaged, it puts us at higher risk by moving half our normal speed. While, normally I wouldn’t be too worried over this, it adds to our issue of food and water supplies. They were also heavily damaged in the fight, meaning if we don’t port soon, we could run out of resources.”

Berwald gave a small huff at this point and glared sharply at Lukas, as if Mathias explaining the situation proved his point. Alfred simple looked between the two, confused as to what was causing such a disagreement between the first mate and his crewmate.

“That does sound like a problem.” Alfred agreed with Mathias, but he didn’t see why this would be an issue. “So, what’s the problem with having to go to port? I mean, me and Mattie don’t really care if we have to stop for a bit.” Alfred turned to look at his brother for confirmation, but Matthew wasn’t paying attention to Alfred and was still looking at the maps.

“The issue isn’t about going to port.” Mathias started, but was cut off as Matthew.

“But, to which port we should stop at. Correct?” Matthew finished, now seeing where the problem lies.

“Right.” Mathias nodded and explained the reasoning. “We are still in Diamonds’ waters, and sadly we won’t make it to Hearts as it is. So, that means we are going to have to stop somewhere in Diamonds. Berwald is insisting that we stop at the nearest port to make our repairs and gather supplies, while Lukas wants us to push forward to the next port. However, we might not make it that far.”

“Well,” Alfred paused as he tried to maul over the situation. “If it’s such a risk, why not go to the nearest port to restock and make repairs?”

“Because the nearest port is, Chavaín, the capital of Diamonds.” Lukas hissed out while he pointed angrily at the map.

“Chavaín?!” Alfred was surprised, and a little unnerved, to hear that they were so close to the Diamond capital.

“Yes!” Lukas pounced on Alfred’s shock and pressed his advantage, hoping to sway the young King into agreeing with him. “Which is why I said we should keep going. It’s tpo risking stopping there with you two, it will be swarming with Clubs’ soldiers!”

Berwald let out a sigh as if he had heard the same argument multiple times. “But Lukas, if we lose our tailwind we could be stranded at sea for days. Starvation and dehydration can kill a man just as easily as a Clubs’ sword. We are already rationing water so making port is a must.”

Mathias just rolled his eyes as he watched Berwald and Lukas start up their arguing again. Each second that passed their words only got more heated.

“So, you see our problem.” Mathias groaned to Matthew and Alfred. 

Alfred hated seeing two of his friends argue so he looked to the captain, knowing that his decision would end the stalemate. “Well, you’re the captain, what do you think we should do.”

This got both Berwald and Lukas to stop fighting and they both turned to eagerly hear which side their captain would take.

Mathias just shook his head and gave Alfred a leveled stare. “No, I think the choice is yours Alfred. It is you and your brother that stand to lose the most here. I do agree with Berwald that we should stop at the nearest port, but Lukas also holds a fair argument. Therefore, I think you should pick the option that would best suit your needs.”

Alfred’s eyes widened as all the eyes in the room swiveled to him and he gulped nervously. This was the first time that someone was asking his opinion on something that could affect more than just him, and it made Alfred’s hands break out into a cold sweat. Alfred’s mind raced over the different scenarios, but in the end, it all jumbled into a big mess that gave him no idea for what he should do. 

“I,” Alfred stuttered out unsurely. “I don’t-”

Matthew watched as his brother started to panic, and before it could get worse, he tactfully stepped in. “Actually, stopping at Chavaín might not be the worst idea.”

“Really?” Alfred questioned weakly, mostly relieved that he didn’t have to answer. 

At the same time Lukas yelled, “What?!”

Matthew just shrugged at the outburst. “It’s the busiest port in Cards, meaning that the Belladonna will have the best chance of slipping in unnoticed. It’s the same reason we picked Araimore in Spades, as we thought it would be easier to hide.” Matthew looked back at the maps before continuing. “With Cards in such turmoil, a roughed up merchant ship will be a common sight and I’m certain that a few coins will convince any harbormaster that the Belladonna is an innocent merchant ship that was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

“That’s true.” Mathias rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Chavaín’s docks are notorious for being easy to bribe nowadays.”

“But,” Alfred spoke up hesitantly, still not wanting to have all eyes on him again. “I thought that the whole point of us going by ship was to bypass Diamonds.”

“It was.” Matthew nodded in confirmation. “Traveling by land we would have had to pass through multiple checkpoints, even before we reached Chavaín. It was too much of a risk, but now we will be arriving right in the heart of Diamonds.”

“So…” Alfred trailed off, wondering where his brother was going with this.

“So, if we could manage to make it to the Diamonds’ palace I-” Matthew paused and fidgeted slightly with the bottom of his shirt. “I know that I could get us an audience with Francis.”

“Francis?” The three crewmembers of the Belladonna questioned with varying looks of puzzlement.

“Yes, the King of Diamonds.” Matthew explained patiently. “I uh, well I am on friendly terms with him.”

“I’d say more than friendly.” Alfred muttered and snickered when his brother gave him a sharp glare.

“Anyways, I’m sure that if I approached him for aid, he’d give it.” Matthew tried to ignore the knowing looks Alfred kept giving him.

Berwald had already wanted the Belladonna to stop at Chavaín so this bit of information just firmed the decision in his mind. Lukas at least seemed to be thinking over the idea, but Mathias looked doubtful.

Mathias was frowning as he spoke. “That would be a good plan, but there might be an issue.”

“There always and issue.” Alfred grumbled.

Mathias couldn’t agree more with the Spades king. “Clubs has maintained a tight control on Diamonds after the initial surrender and one of the reasons is that Ivan has removed Francis from any position of power.”

“What?!” Matthew felt dread pool in his stomach at that news. “Is Francis alright, what do you mean removed from power?”

“As far as we know he’s fine. It was part of the terms of surrender. Ivan requested that Francis be limited to how much interaction he could have within his kingdom, and thus he was shipped off to stay in a private suite in Clubs’ palace. Francis is only allowed to visit for a few weeks each year.”

“Well, what about Lili and Basch?” Alfred offered. While Basch was prickly with everyone he met, Lili was sweet as a flower and always had a soft spot for Alfred when he was a child. “I’m sure that they would help us, even if they are under Clubs’ control.”

Mathias just let out a defeated sigh. “Again, probably not the best idea. After the surrender, Lili health took a turn for the worse. She has become extremely weak and is often bed ridden due to illness. She hasn’t left the palace in centuries. And the Jack, has only gotten more protective of his sister. People think that Ivan is threatening Lili to make Basch cooperate.”

Alfred’s hand clenched into a hard fist, and felt a fine tremor of anger run through his body at the thought of Ivan looming over Lili’s small form. “He had better not hurt Lili.” He muttered angrily to himself.

Mathias slapped a comforting hand on both Alfred and Matthew’s shoulder. He had hated to shoot down both brother’s suggestions and felt even worse as it had appeared that Alfred and Matthew were not fully aware of the situation in Diamonds.

Lukas also scowled at the situation. “Well, I hate to be the bearer of more bad news, but I think you guys are missing an important detail. The Belladonna is wrecked, meaning that once we do port she will have to be repaired. It would be too suspicious to leave port otherwise. Which, by the amount damage I have seen, will take at least two weeks, at minimum. Alfred and Matthew cannot wait around for two weeks.”

Matthew didn’t like Lukas’s tone and sent an apprehensive glance towards the smaller crewmate. “What are you trying to implying?”

“I'm saying that you two will have to continue on by foot.”

Alfred whipped his face towards Lukas, his eyes widening in disbelieving shock. “You’re going to abandon us?”

Alfred could feel his heartbeat pick up at the thought of him and his brother being left alone in the middle of Diamonds. Evading the Clubs’ soldier was hard enough in Spades, where Alfred at least knew the general landscape. But, Diamonds’ was foreign territory, Alfred had barely any recollection of the geography of Diamonds, save for Chavaín and a few other major cities that were hammered into him during his studies. Matthew might have a little bit better of an understanding of Diamonds, given that he had visited it more, yet they have been gone for more than three hundred years and things could have changed.

“No, no. Not abandon!” Lukas waved his hands frantically in denial. As Alfred’s breath started to come out in harsh puffs, Lukas spoke quickly hoping to ease Alfred’s panic. “But, it's too big of a risk having you hide with us for that long. People would be moving all over the Belladonna to make repairs and it gives too many chances for you to be spotted. Thus, as I was saying before, it would be better to port at the smaller city. It will have less guards and it's closer to Hearts’ border, so you should have an easier time sneaking to the border.”

Alfred was still tense and Matthew gave his brother’s hand a comforting squeeze. The situation wasn’t ideal but they were going to have to deal with it. Just as Matthew was resigned to agree with Lukas, Mathias spoke up.

Mathias had to hold back his smile at his stroke of genius. “Actually, I may have a solution. I know I promised you two that I would get you to Hearts. I might not be able to now, but I have a contact that can. He's part of the Aces, his family is one of the founders, and he's helped take rebels across the border for years. He owes me a favor, so if I asked him I'm sure he’d take you.”

Lukas ignored the hopeful looks that Alfred and Matthew were sporting and gave Mathias a skeptical glance. “If you’re thinking of who I think you’re thinking of, then you’re an idiot.” Mathias protested but Lukas continued. “Didn't he punch you in the face the last time you saw him?”

“It doesn't matter.” Mathias brushed off Lukas negativity. “A favor is a favor, and he will help. In fact, he’s probably the best man for the job. So, what do you say boys?”

Alfred shared a look with his brother. They didn’t have much of a choice and so far Mathias hadn’t let them down. So, Matthew gave a reluctant nod.

“Well, if you trust him then me and my brother will trust him to.” Alfred said. “It looks like Chavaín will be the port we go to.”

“Sounds good, we should reach port in about three days.” Mathias confirmed before he dismissed the group from his room. He had a busy day ahead of him and a new route to course.


	24. Shine like a Diamond

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had such plans, I was going to write and update while camping. But it turns out that being in the middle of nowhere and surrounded by trees doesn't give you the best internet connection.
> 
> And again, this has only been edited by me, so sorry for any mistakes that I've missed.
> 
> Feel free to drop a comment or a kudos,  
> And as usual, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy! :D

When the cry came from the crow’s nest that Chavaín was in sight, Alfred let out a sigh of relief and made his way over to the bow railing to watch their approach. While it was a tough decision to stop at Diamonds’ Capital, it turned out to be the best course of action. The supposedly three-day trip had turned into five with the loss of a strong following wind, causing the already dangerously low food and water to be rationed further. So, stopping at the nearer port had been the right action to take, much to Alfred’s relief, as the Belladonna wouldn’t have made it much further in her condition.

Alfred tapped his fingers impatiently against the ship’s railing as the Belladonna slowly made its way closer to the tall cliffs of Diamonds’ coasts. The rough and jagged cliff faces were covered in vibrant mosses that hung down in thick green curtains; trees of all sizes clung to the rocky surface, which created a luscious emerald forest. Some trees even stretched out over the water. In between all the various shades of green, streaked shimming blue rivers and streams, which cascaded off the cliff side, creating an impressive array of waterfalls. Small outcroppings of rocks littered the waters along the coast, free-standing stacks that towered just as high as the cliff faces and were covered in the same foliage as the mainland. While the natural landscape that surround Chavaín was an impressive sight, Alfred knew that a more breathtaking view lay just inside the bay, where the city resided. The Belladonna carefully navigated through the last outcropping of rocks and headed towards the mouth of the bay. Two large boom towers marked the entrance. They loomed over the Belladonna as she sailed her way past them, carved out of the cliff face, which housed a massive chain that could be raised for water defense should Chavaín come under attack.

Even though Alfred had already seen the Capital of Diamonds’ he still let out an amazed gasp as the city came into focus. Dozens of ships were anchored out in the crystal-clear waters of the bay, while many more were packed into the docks lining the city. Though, the sheer number of ships was impressive, Chavaín itself was a sight to behold. Seeming to rise out of the water, the city was set up in a series of tiers that climbed up and over the carved out cliff side; leading to where the Diamonds palace residing at the top, like a crowning jewel. Where larger waterfalls decorated the surrounding cliffs, smaller, more delicate waterfalls flowed throughout the city, each connecting to waterways that lead out to the bay. Finally, circling around the port was a large white wall, it’s glistening stone offering protection to the city within.

Being the biggest trading city in Cards, Chavaín had earned the nickname as the City of Gold, not just for the coin that would flow into and out of the city, but also for its glittering exterior. The thousands of houses and buildings that resided in the city boasted an array of fancy ornamentation, gilded surfaces or jeweled trimmings, their structures rising like spires on a cathedral. Yet, it was the Palace of Chavaín that took the city’s extravagance to a whole new level. Sitting atop the city, the palace gleamed golden under the sun, the white marble of the walls reflecting the warm glow of the gold-leaf pillars that ran along its surface. While, Alfred would always say that Zelené could outshine any city, he had to admit that Chavaín was beautiful.

Noticing a flash of gold beside him, Alfred turned to see his brother also looking at the city. Matthew’s expression seemed to be torn between eagerness and apprehension. With everything that happened to Spades and Zelené, Alfred could understand Matthew’s hesitance. Yet, Chavaín was just as he remembered, save for the missing golden banners that normally would be flying Diamonds’ sigil from atop the tall towers of the palace. 

Alfred let Matthew watch their approach for a few minutes longer till he deemed that they had gotten close enough to the docks. With a gentle tug, Alfred led his brother down below deck and back into the cargo hold where they had originally started their journey on the Belladonna. The remaining crates and barrels had been pushed together to form a small cavity where Alfred and Matthew had to hide until the Belladonna received the all clear from the harbormaster at Chavaín.

Feeling the thunk of wood against wood as the Belladonna rocked up against the moorings, Alfred wiggled his bottom, leaned his weight backwards and prepared for the long wait for the Belladonna clearance to disembark. Yet, only minutes later the sound of heavy footsteps echoed down the steps into the cargo hold. Fearing that it was a port official coming down to inspect the ship, Alfred and Matthew held their breath, bodies frozen still.

The footsteps continued to inch closer, till they were right outside where Alfred and Matthew were hiding. For a few seconds, nothing happened and the room was eerily quiet. Then, the box in front of them tugged out of place and a grinning Mathias looked down at the two brothers. 

He offered a hand to help Alfred up. “Alright boys, it’s time to get a move on.” Mathias said, oblivious to how much he had frightened them.

Alfred was torn, waiting to punch Mathias for scaring them or accept the offered hand. “Could have at least warned us it was you.” He muttered under his breath, but Alfred took the hand with a huff then turned to help his brother up.

“That was rather quick.” Matthew stated, glad to be out of the rather cramped hiding place. Wiping the dust from his clothing he glanced at Mathias. “Am I to assuming that it all worked out fine?”

“Yep.” Mathias nodded. “It was easier than expected. Apparently, there were a few other merchant ships that have been raided and have made port here, so the Belladonna blends in rather well. Plus, the added gleam of a few gold coins seemed to help distract any curious eyes.”

“So, the Harbor Master took the bribe?” Alfred guessed.

Mathias let out a loud chuckle as he led the brothers up the stairs and to his quarters. “Took it, hell he practically ripped the gold from my hand in his eagerness.” Pausing to open the door, Mathias let Alfred and Matthew enter the room first. Sitting on the large wooden desk in the center of the room was two bundles of cloth, which Mathias grabbed and threw one at each brother. Catching the ball of cloth before it hit his face, Alfred let it furl out and saw that it was a long, dark cloak. “Now, before we go out, cloaks on and hoods up. I want you to stick close, no wandering off, and if possible leave all the talking to me.”

Drawing the hoods up, Alfred and Matthew’s face became shrouded in the dark shadow of the cloth. Alfred gave himself quick once over, testing to see if the hood would stay in place then nodded to Mathias, giving a thumbs up. “We’re good to go.”

* * *

“Keep up boys!” Mathias urged over his shoulder.

“Easier said than done.” Alfred grumbled under his breath, but doubled his effort in keeping up with Mathias among the mass of people that were at the docks.

Hundreds of people crowded the road and walkways that lined the port, making it almost impossible not to go three steps without bumping into someone, and it seemed as if everyone was in a hurry. There was cargo to be loaded, shipments to be offloaded, produce to be sold and trinkets to be bought. Chavaín was the trading empire, and now more than ever, Alfred understood why.

The one nice thing about the crowd was that Alfred and Matthew barely drew any attention to themselves amidst the mass of bodies. People from all across Cards were hurrying along the swarming streets, different styles of clothing clashing together in an array of colors. The citizens of Diamonds were easy to pick out with their fancy ornate clothing of laces and silks. Clubs traders could be spotted by their rugged clothing made of leather and fur, whereas the merchants from Hearts wore more airy and light cloth. With all the different fashions, Alfred and Matthew’s cloak hardly stuck out.

After getting his foot stepped on for the fifth time, Alfred was glad when Mathias motioned for them to get off the main street and headed down one of the less busier side streets. There were little shops and stores that lined the walkway and a few people that were idling browsing at the wares. Alfred found himself slowing as they passed a food stand, the smell of fresh baked pastries brought up the memory of the treats Francis used to bring and soon Alfred found his mouth to watering. 

“Hurry up!” Mathias pressed again when he noticed the brothers starting to trail.

“Coming, coming.” It took some effort, but Alfred was able to tear his eyes off the flaky treats. Noticing Matthew had also stopped to stare at a couple browsing a stall’s wears, Alfred nudged his brother to get him moving. “Come on, Matthew.”

Yet, when Alfred took a few steps ahead Matthew remand standing still. Turning back to his brother in confusion Alfred questioned, “Matt?” Receiving no response, Alfred tried again and moved his hand into his brother’s view. “Hey, Mattie is everything alright?”

With Alfred’s hand waving in front of his face, Matthew was able to snap out of his daze. “Huh, oh ya. I’m fine. Let’s go.” Matthew pushed his brother’s hand out of the way and started to catch up to Mathias.

Alfred jogged to his brother’s side and gave him a concerned frown. “Are you sure? You seemed pretty out of it.”

Matthew let out a sigh. “It’s just, every time I visited here it was so full of life, bursting with energy and people. Chavaín is supposed to be the jewel of Diamonds. But, now…” Matthew frowned the more he thought about it. “It’s still the same city, the same buildings and markets, and people, but everything seems so dull.”

“Dull?” Alfred tiled his head confused. He looked back to where Matthew had stopped but found nothing out of the ordinary. The people were still standing at the stall and were halfheartedly picking at the jewelry for sale.

“I don’t really know how to explain it.” Matthew shrugged unhelpfully but continued to try and explain. “It’s just, whenever I have visited in the past, Chavaín was alive and shining, like it had this inner glow. Its citizens carefree and happy. Yet, walking through the city now, it’s like the life has been sucked out of it. The people living here are not happy anymore.”

Matthew lapsed into silence after that, offering no other clarification. He quickened his pace and was soon following Mathias’s shadow diligently. Alfred could see Matthew’s slumped and downcast posture under the cloak and, with a thoughtful frown, once more took a lot at his surroundings, trying to see what his brother had.

No longer distracted by the smells of baked goods or caught up in the glittering distractions of the city, Alfred could feel an underlying tension running through Chavaín. The people browsing the stalls and shops were tense, their movements anxious. While, other people simply seemed to rush to their destination, as if they were afraid to stop and chat along the way. Their eyes would flick to dark alleys, or shadowed corners, searching for an unknown danger.

The people were afraid, and as Mathias lead the brothers passed a backstreet, Alfred saw why. Stationed just at the entrance to the road were two Clubs soldiers, their metal armor flashing in the light and their sharp metal spears loomed menacingly. The dark green of their uniforms stood out in sharp contrast to the light of their surroundings, complementing the dark aura that seemed to ooze from them. Their cold gazes scanned the road and Alfred quickly drew his eyes away, not waiting to draw their attention.

Mathias kept their pace quick but even, blending in with other citizens, yet as soon as he spied another side alley he quickly veered off, nearly dragged Matthew and Alfred with him. Almost instantaneously, Alfred felt the tenseness of his shoulders dissipate, but even though they were no longer under the oppressive scrutiny from the Clubs soldiers, the air was still filled with unease. Diamonds had surrendered to protect itself from a war with Clubs, and while it suffered no damage physical like Spades had, Diamonds was still suffering under Clubs’ harsh ruling.  

Walking along the darker alley, Alfred reached for his brother’s hand and gave it a comforting squeeze. “Don’t worry, once we stop Ivan, things will get better.”

Matthew lifted his head a little and Alfred could see the small, hesitant smile that his brother gave him. “I hope so, Al.”

* * *

Alfred lost track of how many twists and turns Mathias made going through the different side streets. The buildings around them had changed slightly, smaller and more scrunched together, with smaller and more delicate ornamentation. It was one such building that Mathias stopped in front of, a quaint three story inn.

“Here it is,” Mathias said with gusto, “the Prancing Unicorn.”

Alfred smirked a little at the name and his raised eyebrow when unnoticed in the shadow of his hood. “The Prancing Unicorn?”

“Look,” Mathias rolled his eyes at Alfred’s tone. “I didn’t pick the name. My associate liked it so this is where he hides out.”

“Whatever you say Captain.” Alfred teased. Then looking closer at the door of the inn, Alfred realized that it had a small etching of the Aces’ symbol on the door. “The inn has the same symbol as your ship, does that mean they support the Aces too?”

Mathias nodded. “This building is a safe house for those apart of the resistance, offering boarding and shelter for those who need it. However, it’s still an inn open to all and there are a lot of people here that are desperate and wouldn’t mind cashing in on your reward money. So, I need you to remember to stay by my side and keep your head low.”

Alfred and Matthew nodded in unison as they followed Mathias through the door. “Kay.”

The Prancing Unicorn was built just like any other inn, with numerous wooden tables and chairs scattered along the ground floor for patrons to sit and drink at. A large fireplace decorated one side wall and a bar stretched across the back wall. A staircase curled up and over the bar, which lead to more seating on the second level and a few bedrooms that overlooked the main floor. The staircase continued to wrap around the room and ended at the third floor, which was all bedchambers. The inn was lit by numerous candles that hung for a chandelier that dangled from the ceiling.     

While the inn itself looked clean and friendly, the people inside on the other hand were less so. Most of the patrons were dirty and rugged, obviously lacking the wealth that was overflowing in the main streets of Chavaín. 

As the group moved through the inn towards the bar counter, most patrons ignored the trio, but some took the time to look past the rim of their mugs and glare as they passed by.

After a particularly intense glare Matthew leaned closer to his brother and whispered in his ear, “These people look trustworthy.”

“Hush, Mattie.” Alfred hissed back.

Matthew huffed and mumbled, “Just saying, if we get stabbed in the back I’m blaming you.”

Alfred was saved from replying to his brother’s snappy comment as they had reached the counter of the bar. A lovely blonde haired woman was wiping away at some dirty cups behind the bar and seemed to have ignored their approach.

“Hello there beautiful, I’m looking for a friend.” Mathias gave a sly grin as he leaned against the counter.

“Not interested.” The woman replied without looking up.

Alfred snickered at the refusal, but Mathias easily brushed it off. “Haha, as lovely as ever I see, Marilee.”

Hearing her name, the woman’s eyes snapped upwards. “Oh, Mathias? What are you doing here?” Curiosity flitted across her features, but then after a few moments shuttered down to suspicion. “No, never mind, I don’t care.”

“Why so cruel to me, my lady?” Mathias put up a pout.

“Don’t you my lady me!” Marilee gave a pointed glare. “If the friend is who I think it is, he’s upstairs, and I swear if you two get into a fight again, you’ll be paying for any broken tables.”

Mathias winced at the threat. “Ugh, it happened once.”

“So, make sure it doesn’t happen again.” Marilee turned her back and the conversation was done.

Mathias whined her name trying to get her to come back, but Marilee simply walked into the backroom.

Alfred had watched the humorous exchange with upturned lips but Matthew gave Mathias an unimpressed look. “You know the more I hear about you and your associate’s relationship the less I’m sure that you are actual friends.”

Mathias let out a sigh and resigned himself to knowing that Marilee wasn’t coming back. “It’s just that our temperaments clash sometimes. Fiery personalities and all.”

“Hmmm.” Matthew was still skeptical.

“Trust me, Matthew. You two are gonna like him.” He gave a knowing look towards Alfred and ushered to two of them towards the stairs.

The second floor was similar to the first, with tables and chairs that overlooked the room below. The striking difference however, was that only a single man sat on a chair tucked into the corner of the room, the rest of the tables were empty. Alfred peered at the man over Mathias’s shoulder, yet with him sitting so far off to the side, the lights of the main room only dimly lit the corner. So, the lighting was throwing the man’s hunched profile into a dark shadow. Adding to the low visibility, there was also the occasional puff of smoke from the man, the pungent scent of a cigar, that wafted around the patron and further obscured the man’s face from view. 

It was with confident strides that Mathias made his way over to the singular patron, brushing through the smoke and eyed the numerous of empty glasses that littered his table. “I see you’re enjoying your free time, but isn’t it a bit early to be getting drunk?” Mathias chided at the man.

There were sounds of empty mugs tinkling together as the man shifted and bumped the table with his leg. “Eh? Shove off.” It was a gruff dismissal, a lazy hand shooed them away through the smoke. “What I do with my time ain't any of your business.”

Alfred’s curiosity was peaked; the man’s voice was thick with an accented, his words coming out in a harsh drawl.

“Oh, come on.” Mathias smirked and leaned his weight onto the table. “No love for an old friend?”

The wooden chair creaked as the man shifted. “Friend? Oh, bloody hell, Mathias! Aren’t you a little far from your dinghy?”

Mathias sputtered at the comment. “The Belladonna is a ship! A ship, you hear!”

A rich, hearty chuckle emanated from the man. “Whatever ya say, mate.” There was a pause, a red glow shone through the smoke as the man inhaled on his cigar then blew out a smoke ring. “So, what brings you here to this fine establishment. Finally gathered your wits and decided to retire like I told you?”

“No,” Mathias waved away the ring of smoke. “I’m here for a favor, actually.”

“No.” Was the curt reply.

“But I haven’t said anything.” Mathias whined, looking a little put out at being dismissed so quickly.

“Don’t matter.” Another smoke ring. “Find someone else to bother.”

“Look,” Mathias’s tone no longer friendly, but serious. He stood up to his full height and towered over the sitting man. “I made a promise. I have to get these two boys here to Hearts,” Mathias gestured to Alfred and Matthew over his shoulder, “and as of right now the Belladonna isn’t going anywhere. So, that means I need someone else to take them. You are the best person I know at sneaking people across the border, or has that changed since the last time I visited.”

“Aye, it has changed. I’ve retired and as you can see I’m enjoying my retirement.” A hand shot out of the smoke to point out all the empty drinking glasses.

Mathias’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Retired? You’re joking, right?” Mathias waited for confirmation, but as the man continued to sit in silence, the captain’s face turned down into an angry scowl, his blue eyes darkening like a stormy sea. “You’re the leader of the Aces, you can’t just retire. Thousands of people look up to you, need you. You can’t abandon them like this.”

“Abandon?!” Alfred jumped a little in shock as a fist slammed down, hard on the table, causing a few of the glasses to tumble off. The man’s accent got thicker as is anger rose and Alfred thought he saw a flash of red hair through the smoke. “I’m not abandoning anyone, if anything I’m saving them. I am sick of helping green behind the ears, young boys, like the two behind you, across the border. I’m done watching them join the army of Hearts, thinking that they will be able to stop Clubs’ army only to be slaughtered on a battlefield.” The chair creaked again, and with a sigh, the curled fist was withdrawn back into the dark shadows. “I am tired of trying, Mathias.”

Mathias winced having felt the same frustration, of wanting to defeat Clubs only to suffer losses at every turn. It seemed an impossible task to stop Clubs’ conquest for power. Yet, with one quick glance over his shoulder at the two brothers, seeing Matthew’s nervous but intelligent gaze flit about the room and Alfred’s curious but determined glances, Mathias knew that things were about to change. “What if I said that this time will be different? That these two can make a difference.”

A loud scoff. “Then I’d tell you that all that salt water has addled your brain.”

Mathias let out a sigh. Giving Alfred one last look he decided to switch tactics. “You’ve heard the rumors, right? That the King of Spades has returned.”

“Mathias.” Matthew whispered in warning giving the captain’s coat a tug. This mystery man still hadn’t agreed to help them yet and Matthew was hesitant about revealing their identities to random strangers.

But Matthew’s concern was brushed aside as the man answered. “Who hasn’t. That rumor alone has caused the number of would-be Ace recruits to increase tenfold. Shame it’s only a rumor though.”

“Image it though,” Mathias pressed. “If the King of Spade was in Hearts to help lead the charge against Clubs. It would raise the moral of so many.”

“Aye,” There was a pause as the man thought about it. “It would.”

“Then would you help the King of Spades to Hearts?” Mathias asked hopefully.

“Oh, bloody hell.” The man grumbled. “You don’t give up do you.”

Mathias couldn’t help the grin that stretched across his face. “Well, would you?”

There was more grumbling, but the man’s one word answer made Alfred’s hope soar. “Aye.” There was a shift again and this time Alfred could definitely see red hair. “But, that’s the trouble with rumors though, there not normally true. So, if you haven’t got the King of Spades tucked underneath one of those hoods then you are out of luck.”

Even under the hood, Mathias could see the megawatt grin Alfred was sporting. He shared a mischievous wink with the brothers before turning to smirk. “Then I guess it’s my lucky day. Boys, your hoods please.”

“Eh?” The man grunted, obviously confused. “What are you going on about?”

Alfred was just about to tug off his hood when his brother grabbed his arm to stop him. Matthew was still looking around uneasily. “This isn’t exactly a private location, what if someone sees.”

Alfred whined at his brother and his worrying, clearly Matthew forgot that they were the only ones on the second floor. “Aww, way to ruin the dramatic moment, Mattie.” As if to spite his brother, Alfred flicked Matthew’s hood off first.

Alfred snickered as Matthew’s comically surprised face was revealed. His blonde hair was slightly ruffled from being under the hood and his violet eyes were wide behind his wireframes; his mouth opened in a shocked ‘o’.

Matthew’s face quickly turned to anger as he scolded his brother for not being careful and as retribution yanked down on the front of Alfred’s hood so that it covered all of his face. Amidst the brotherly bickering, Alfred and Matthew missed the man’s whispered, “Shite.”

Mathias was still smirking as he continued with introductions. “This is Alfred and Matthew.” Mathias pointed to the brother still covered in his hood. “Or you might more commonly know this one as the King of Spades.”

Taking it as his cue, Alfred shoved off his brother’s hand and threw back his hood, his cowlick bouncing upwards once freed from the cloak. Blue eyes flashing and with a wide and bright grinning smile, Alfred stretched out his hand in greeting. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Alfred,” Mathias nodded to the man. “This is Allistor Kirkland and his is going to be your guide to Hearts.”

Alfred froze at the mention of the last name, his mind whirling with disbelieve. He barely even registered when Allistor reached out to shake his hand.

With the rest of the hand, Allistor finally moved out of the smoky wall and into the light. Allistor had scruffy blood red hair that caused his oak green eyes to shine dangerously. A dull flash on Allistor’s left ear drew Alfred’s attention to the iron hoop piercing his ear. But the most striking feature Alfred felt was the two bushy eyebrows that were barely hidden under messy bangs.

After staring for a few seconds Alfred finally managed to stutter out, “Kirkland?!”

“Shite.” Allistor let out a sigh as he sat back down at the table and gestured for the rest of them to sit down too. “Looks like I’m not retiring yet.” He mumbled to himself and ignored Mathias smirking grin. 


End file.
